Business and Battle

War planning is like a business initiative writ large (really, really large). Poorly done, the consequences of inferior planning can be disastrous. As in business, war demands leaders who listen to a variety of opinions, dig down, manage from afar, and, when times demand, dive in and go to the source.

Moreover, good leaders do not underestimate costs, time and the difficulty of the goal. They lay out missions that are clear and serve the greater good.

This came to mind as I was reading a review of a new documentary film called "Body of War," co-directed by Phil Donahue. According to "Variety," the human and political tragedy comes home in a way that nobody has captured in a film about the Iraq war. I thought the timing was good since concern about the war seems to be waning a bit as war fatigue sets in.

I'm afraid most people are losing touch with the basic facts of the war. We just passed the 4,000 mark for U.S. service members killed in Iraq. But that's just the iceberg’s tip: 50,000 have been wounded, 30,000 severely, and credible estimates of dead Iraqis range up to a half million. This film will reconnect people with the defining event of a generation. Check out the trailer, and tell your friends in the following cities where the film is showing: April 9, IFC Center in New York City; April 18 at the Shattuck theater in Berkeley; May 9 at the KEN Theatre in San Diego; and May 16 at the Lagoon theater in Minneapolis. Films like these with small budgets need grassroots help. Thanks.