Investment Banking: More Stressful Than Serving in Iraq

From: the Wall Street Journal

"“War is War and hell is hell. Between the two, war is worse.”

So sayeth Hawkeye Pierce, the wisecracking head surgeon of M*A*S*H 4077. Does Dr. Pierce need to revise his thinking? Capt. J. Dow Covey might think so. Why? Well consider the following interchange as relayed in this recent report from Michael Totten of Michaeltotten.com, a blogger about the Middle East. Totten has been embedded with various U.S. military units in Iraq of late, filing dispatches about military progress in that country. In his latest report Totten is visiting an Iraqi police station and talking to Capt. Covey of New York City:

“Do you know the Weekly Standard magazine?” Captain Covey asked me.
“Of course,” I said.
“My buddy Tom Cotton was just written up there,” he said. “It was pretty cool seeing him in that magazine.”
“What did he do to get in the magazine?” I said.
“He’s like me,” he said. “He’s a Harvard Law grad who joined the Army after 9/11. I’m an attorney.”
“You’re an attorney?” I said. “What are you doing out here in Iraq?”
“I practiced law for three years,” he said, “then got into investment banking. When 9/11 happened I just had to sign up with the Army. Investment banking is a lot more stressful than this.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I said.
“No,” he said, and laughed. “I am totally serious.