The U.N. goes to junior high.

• Author: Clinton, Kate
• Position: Political poetry

I could hardly get to the computer repair shop. My system crash had occurred as I wrote about the U.N. meeting in September in Manhattan. The town was a gridlocked parking lot. When I finally arrived, the computer guy told me, "Your logic board is broken." "Of course it is," I responded. "You should see what I'm writing." The raw data I've been inputting would shut down any logic board.

The United Nations had morphed into a middle school playground at recess. There was bullying. George Bush was talking directly to the Afghan people, as if they had electricity and were watching him on their flat panel TVs. There was the "I know you are, but what am I?" taunting from Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There was name-calling from Hugo Chavez. The on-looking crowd of delegates performed "Oh no you didn't" neck moves that needed no translation. Unfortunately, some of these boys have nuclear sticks and stones.

Perhaps it's the lingering sulfurous futility of trying to make something logical out of a war that has so twisted our times.

In his efforts to open religious dialogue, the Pope said that Islam is evil and inhuman. Now come on over for some beer and a brat! Who is his press person? Someone from Tom Cruise's old entourage? I tried the papal "apologia" in confession: "Bless me, father, I'm sorry you think I've sinned." I was asked to leave.

In response to the selectively released intelligence study, which stated that our presence in Iraq is worsening the situation there, that master of illogic Dick Cheney said we must stay in Iraq because the situation is worsening.

In dizzying daily conversation, those who have changed their position on the war think they deserve more street cred than those who were against it from the start.

What to do in the face of such paralyzingly deliberate illogic? In addition to the bracing necessary acts...