Souldish readers, I can only imagine your frustration at trying to bring up our subject matter at the water cooler. It’s difficult working Gnostic-raw food-dream machine-binaural tantra into a rehash of last night’s Letterman monologue. But today is your day! For on last night’s Daily Show, Lt. Col. John Nagl discussed the Army’s newest field manual on counterinsurgency operations. You remember all the summer reading that Army field manuals provide, right? If you’re interested, you can download Counterinsurgency here.

Is the public promotion of this new field manual a public relations move to show Americans the Army is adapting to wisely address the situation in Iraq? I believe so, but I don’t think it’s only that. I suspect the Army has implemented the manual with all seriousness, but they recognize good press release fodder when it comes up. Truth makes for the best propaganda.