From Defense Secretary To App Developer | Donald Rumsfeld

“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” – Donald Rumsfeld, February 12, 2002, News briefing

Now there is one more thing we do know. That Donald Rumsfeld is an app developer. The 83 year old former secretary of defense under Richard Ford and George Bush Jr. has released an app called “Churchill Solitaire” with the help of app development company Snapdragon Studios and media agency Javelin. The app is based on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s love of solitaire played during the darkest days of the war against Hitler.

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning on Rumsfeld’s technological abilities, “Mr. Rumsfeld can’t code. He doesn’t much even use a computer. But he guided his young digitally minded associates who assembled the video game with. . .a flurry of memos called snowflakes.” In one serious strategic snowflake he says, “Instead of capturing history, it is getting a bit artsy.”
Winston Churchill was renowned for his strategic style of approach in politics but his love for card games is something that many people still don’t know about him. Mr Rumsfeld had worked closely with the Churchill family estate in order to find references to the game.

Due to the difficulties of  solitaire, Rumsfeld had his developers include hints in the game to help players with unavailable moves. Of the hints, Rumsfeld said, “There are damn few undos in life, but there are hints.” We have a feeling that by siding with Winston Churchill, Rumsfeld might be making an unconventional bid to stay on the right side of history. We’re not sure it’s going to help him. Don’t take our word for it check out the comments on his release post. Ouch!