Steering to the open spot
 | Rob Crowe
Columnist
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My first snowmobile was a Sno-Jet. My uncle was a dealer and I bought one that he had used for a couple of years. It had a 372 Hirth single cylinder motor, slightly modified.
For that time, it was pretty fast, would go a tick over 60 mph. Unfortunately, the brake, a single pad that rubbed on the driven clutch face, couldn't stop it. I didn't have all the needed tools at the time to install a newer style disc brake so I learned a couple of important things.
1. Slow down a long way before you need to stop and ... 2. In case you forget rule #1, steer to an open space and miss the obstacle that is in your way.
Rule #2 came in handy for me the other day. I hooked up the trailer to the pickup to haul some things for one of the projects and headed into town. The roads were slippery due to a light snow. When I'm pulling a trailer, I am very cognizant of the necessity of using rule #1, which, along with maintaining a healthy following distance, has prevented many accidents.
I was coming into Grand Rapids, taking it easy, when unexpectedly a van stopped in front of me. I hit the brakes - with the slippery surface I skidded. The anti-lock kicked in, but decided not to work properly. Instead of re-applying the brakes, it just un-applied them so I was freewheeling, headed at the back end of a Dodge minivan with every potential of making it look like an accordion.
Fortunately, my ancient education in rule #2 came into play. I released the brake, steered to the right, straddling the curb and, fortunately, got the rig straightened up, parallel to the van but about four feet to the right of it, coming to a stop with the back of my cab at the front of the van. The van was in a line of traffic waiting for a stoplight. When the light changed, the van waited for me to go first. The little lady driving it must have felt safer being behind me than in front of me.
My little rule worked that time. Fortunately there was space to the right of the van. I'm not sure what would have happened if there hadn't been - nothing good, I'm sure.
I'd guess at times President Bush thinks he's headed for a collision in Iraq, brakes not working properly, maybe some space to steer to, maybe not.
The Iraq Study Group, known in some circles as the Iraq Surrender Group, has come up with its take on the situation. Everyone, including the local pundits, have told you what they think about the situation. I've probably said a couple of things too, (don't rightly remember at the moment what they were), but that doesn't stop me from saying some more. Following is a list of my thoughts. I nor any other pundit I've seen is able to come up with a working solution, for one thing no one has all the facts, for another, there is no good solution when dealing with fanatics.
Negotiating from a position of weakness is not negotiating at all, it is simply trying to get the best terms for surrender. The United States has no reason to negotiate from a position of weakness, but many seem to want to make it appear that way.
The raucous calls for diplomacy bring to my memory Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who diplomatically negotiated away a whole country and accelerated Hitler's conquest of Europe.
When Mahmoud Ahmadejad, Iranian president, says Israel - which he describes as a tumor - should be wiped off the map and denies the existence of the Holocaust, he loses any respectability. I'd think the only diplomacy with him that would work would be gunboat diplomacy.
The apparent willingness of the Iranians to use nuclear power in an irresponsible manner denies them the right to have this capability. I expect that either the United States or Israel will have to forcibly deny them the capability.
President Bush is doing what he thinks is best in the whole Mideast situation, while, like driving my old snowmobile, the options seem to be few. He is far better able than his detractors to map the best course.
Rob Crowe chairs the Aitkin County Republicans and raises kids and cows on a farm near Hill City.
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