Hubris in Paradise

Marshall Islands missile tests
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.”
Kattenburg is an independent writer and radio documentarist based in Brandon, Manitoba. He specializes in environment and development issues.
PreviousPage 2 of 2Home
Comment on this article
  
I agree to walrusmagazine.com’s comments policy.

Canada & its place in the world. Published by
the non-profit charitable Walrus Foundation
TwitterFacebookRSS
On newsstands now
New Issue on Sale
March 2012
Subscribe online for as little as $2.49 an issue. Visit The Walrus Store
to buy prints of our covers
The Walrus Laughs
Search the web, support the Walrus Foundation
COPA