The novel begins at the Dursley household. As part of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's description, the second paragraph concludes: "The Dursley's had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere." We soon find out what type of people the Dursley's are in "their opinions." The morning before Harry joins the family, "Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. . . At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcsae, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. 'Little tyke,' chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive."

In the ten years that separate chapter 1 and 2, not much has changed for the Dursley's with Harry's joining them. It is Dudley's birthday: "The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents" (p. 19).

Dudley counts his presents. "'Thirty-six,' he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.' . . . Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?" . . . Uncle Vernon chuckled. 'Little tyke wants his money worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!' He ruffled Dudley's hair."

Dudley is obviously being malformed because his parent's "opinion" that there is no finer boy than him anywhere is based on an attachment to their son that does not truthfully reflect Dudley's character. His behavior becomes seen as "natural", even admirable, because the parent's love, in itself commendable, is separated from what is really good and true. Without knowing the truth -- Dudley is a horrible, spoiled, violent, greedy, overbearing, boorish child -- his parents reinforce all this characteristics in the name of their attachment. Dudley's sin cannot be seen by the parents, living within a narrative world where Dudley is the finest boy in the world. Dudley's sinful lack of goodness becomes seen as natural. This protects the parents commitment to Dudley, a commitment simulating love but not really love, because their "unconditional" commitment to him separates them from what really is good for Dudley.

In the alternative press, news is currently dribbling out that the Bush administration doubled bombing within the no-fly zones in Iraq, themselves illegally imposed by Great Britain and the United States, starting in July of 2002. The war actually began then, even though permission from Congress to start the war would not be given for months. Through official channels, throughout this time the public talk was that war could be averted if Hussein complied with the UN Arms inspectors (which, of course, in retrospect, everyone now knows that he had complied).

Because of information given to me by my friend, Simon Harak, SJ, I had known of the increased bombings then, but this information now takes on new significance in light of the Downey Street memo. These bombing where not in reaction to any threat from the Iraqi government, but were an attempt to lure the Baathist government into retaliation that would justify an attack by the United States. Of course, people died. Two channels flowed -- one the public statements by the Bush government; the other the reality on the ground in Iraq.

When the war began, it was meant to seem 'natural.' The US populace chuckled, "little tyke" and said, "he just wants to get his money worth, just like us." The commitment to a fictious entity called "the United States" became separated from what was good and true, just as the Ba'athist commitment to a fictional entity called "Iraq" had also become separated from what was good and true. The mindless cycle of violence that seems so 'natural' has based in the webs of deceit on all sides. Attachments had arisen that had been corrupted, malformed. The result, just like Dudley, a malformed people unable to see their own real character continues -- and sin marches on by what it is not.

Of course, although most of us do not declare war based on attachments separate from what is true and good, we are all the same way. All of our perceptions, judgments, character, knowledge are embedded in our attachments. That is why all our attachments must be ordered continually in repentance in desire for God, in whom all Truth and Goodness converge in Harmony and Peace. With our attachments ordered from God, we then may have our eyes cleared to see truthfully, so that our commitments, our attachments, might lead us to see what is really natural, rather than the sinful lack that surrounds us. That way, maybe we won't raise new Dudley's, or war-making regimes within the United States.