Angel in the Whirlwind

I am about two thirds of the way through this history of the American Revolution, a slow read but it has its moments. Right now the battle for the North is a stalemate, with the British in New York City, the Americans most of the rest of the Northern states. It' strange that everything seems to stop in the winter, few battles, mostly a time to either build up your forces, or in Washington's case, work at keeping the troops, getting more, and trying to pry money out of Congress, a difficult task. It made Washington see the necessity of a strong central government. The winters were either terrible, with little to eat, wear, or shelter, mostly for the Americans, or it was a fairly enjoyable time, of plays, balls, parties, getting laid, especially for the Brits. The amount of extravagance of the British generals, what they brought with them, is unimaginable. Burgoyne had 30 wagons of his stuff, to keep his life style. Washington, in contrast, seems to be a model of moderation, in all things, and he is to be much admired, not only by his troops and compatriots, but by the modern reader. Without a man of his quality, it's doubtful the States could have won. A good part of the reading reminds me of the present; many are making loads of money off the army, caring little about the outcome. These profiteers drew the most abusive quotation from Washington. I wonder what he would think of the military industrial complex of today, the way it's ingraciated itself into our government. The other thing that's interesting and troubling is the antagonism between the various leaders, whether in Congress or the military. Clearly, self interest, ambition, and power trump all the other necessary virtues. I assume if the same thing is true about the modern power brokers in both the mlitary and government. Finally, it would be difficult to live during this period, if you were a patriot or just a simple folk. You would be pulled in both directions, risking all with your decision, cutting yourself off from half of your peer group by your actions, and, depending on which army is winning, you risk the destruction of your home/property and family, or being deemed a traitor and hung. It was similar in Istanbul when we left in 77'. Either you had to join the leftists or the conservative Muslims, and it was not possible to remain neutral.