Thursday, February 22, 2007
Catch-21
Sometime in September 2006, I received notification from my military unit of a call-up for a military exercise fixed for April 2007.
Then last week I got a letter from the Army. The first hint that something was wrong was that the letter was dated 6th November 2006. I looked at the post mark on the envelope - that was dated 10th February 2007.
With increasing trepidation I read the contents of the letter. It said that effective 16th October 2006 I had been transferred to a new military unit. I logged on to the internet and confirmed my expectations - I was still scheduled for the military exercise in April 2007 with my old unit despite being posted to a new unit, presumably from October 2006 onwards.
It therefore appears that what the Army has done is as follows - In September 2006 they schedule me for a military exercise to take place in April 2007. One month later, they transfer me to a new unit. 3 weeks after the "effective" date of transfer, they write the letter notifying me of the transfer. 3 MONTHS after that they post the letter to me. And it appears that 2 months after notifying me of my transfer to a new unit, they expect me to do a military exercise with my old unit.
Beautiful isn't it? I call it Catch-21.
It's just 1 step removed from the famous Catch-22 in Joseph Heller's novel:
Yossarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. "Is Orr crazy?"
"He sure is," Doc Daneeka said.
"Can you ground him?"
"I sure can but first he has to ask me to. That's part of the rule."
"Then why doesn't he ask you to?"
"Because he's crazy," Doc Daneeka said. "He has to be crazy to keep flying combat missions after all the close calls he's had. Sure I can ground Orr. But first he has to ask me to."
"That's all he has to do to be grounded?"
"That's all. Let him ask me."
"And then you can ground him?" Yossarian asked.
"No, then I can't ground him."
"You mean there's a catch?"
"Sure there is a catch," Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."
There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, that specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane, he had to fly them.
Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of the clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka replied.
Sometime in September 2006, I received notification from my military unit of a call-up for a military exercise fixed for April 2007.
Then last week I got a letter from the Army. The first hint that something was wrong was that the letter was dated 6th November 2006. I looked at the post mark on the envelope - that was dated 10th February 2007.
With increasing trepidation I read the contents of the letter. It said that effective 16th October 2006 I had been transferred to a new military unit. I logged on to the internet and confirmed my expectations - I was still scheduled for the military exercise in April 2007 with my old unit despite being posted to a new unit, presumably from October 2006 onwards.
It therefore appears that what the Army has done is as follows - In September 2006 they schedule me for a military exercise to take place in April 2007. One month later, they transfer me to a new unit. 3 weeks after the "effective" date of transfer, they write the letter notifying me of the transfer. 3 MONTHS after that they post the letter to me. And it appears that 2 months after notifying me of my transfer to a new unit, they expect me to do a military exercise with my old unit.
Beautiful isn't it? I call it Catch-21.
It's just 1 step removed from the famous Catch-22 in Joseph Heller's novel:
Yossarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. "Is Orr crazy?"
"He sure is," Doc Daneeka said.
"Can you ground him?"
"I sure can but first he has to ask me to. That's part of the rule."
"Then why doesn't he ask you to?"
"Because he's crazy," Doc Daneeka said. "He has to be crazy to keep flying combat missions after all the close calls he's had. Sure I can ground Orr. But first he has to ask me to."
"That's all he has to do to be grounded?"
"That's all. Let him ask me."
"And then you can ground him?" Yossarian asked.
"No, then I can't ground him."
"You mean there's a catch?"
"Sure there is a catch," Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."
There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, that specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane, he had to fly them.
Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of the clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka replied.
# posted by Fore! @ 5:27 PM 
