STRATEGYPAGE has a daily roundup on the war. Here’s a bit from today’s, which is worth reading in its entirety for the kind of perspective that the TV coverage lacks:

The pundits are already making comparisons to Vietnam, but there are some important differences. The main one being that Saddam’s government is a brutal dictatorship that is unpopular with most of the population and that there are no nearby nations providing support for Saddam’s followers. Even the Iraqi government admits that it is cut off and not able to hold out for a long time. Saddam’s major weapon is media manipulation and turning himself into a heroic Arab folk hero, bravely fighting off the evil Western crusaders. The reality is different, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reinvent yourself via the media. Madonna has done it several times. . . .

After one week of operations, U.S. forces have suffered 22 killed in combat, six dead in accidents (including two killed by a soldier attacking other soldiers in Kuwait). Seven troops are prisoners and 17 are missing. By historical standards, these are record lows in casualties for troops actively campaigning against an armed enemy.

Read the whole thing.