Hubris in Paradise

I returned to Kwajalein Island shortly before the missile-defence test, which ended up failing when the interceptor rocket on Meck refused to fire. A security guard from Florida drove me to the airport, taking me on a scenic tour past oceanside cabanas, baseball diamonds, and an outdoor movie theatre. Beside the airport, an American flag fluttered at half-mast. “Who died?” I asked. “A Marshallese person, in hospital yesterday,” he replied, after thinking for a moment. “But they wouldn’t have it at half-mast for that.”