“Things looked much worse in 1864 and in 1942 than they do now”.
Sure, but in 1942 the whole free world (except Quebec) was mobilized for war. We were serious about fighting and serious about winning. After that infamous day there was nobody questioning the need for war. Too many people today think that it’s optional.
We were also willing to do whatever it took. I’m not saying that we need to flatten any cities at this juncture, but I don’t think we have the will to do it necessary. Where are the Bomber Harris’ and the Curtis LeMays? Where is our George S. Patton? Tommy Franks is a nice guy, and he might be an Eisenhower or Bradley, but where’s our Patton? And why are we still rotating officers like it’s peacetime? If Franks was good, he should have stayed, if not he should have been shit-canned.
“We haven’t lost our nerve. We’re just still suffering from a political auto-immune disease, political lupus. But further attacks, like the prospect of hanging, will do wonders to clarify our collective minds.”
I’m not so sure – unless those attacks are NBCW with casulties in the tens or hundreds of thousands. And think what that would do to the economy. 9/11 probably cost at least 12-18 months of growth (+/- 600 billion in lost growth). Had it not been for the Bush tax cuts we’d probably be short another 1.5 mil jobs.
I’m begining to think that most folks on the left are completely immune to mind clarification. They simply adapt events to their prejudices instead of vice versa (Bush caused 9/11; Bush made the terrorists mad; and Cheney wants to sail up the Shatt al Arab in the MV Haliburton and steal all the oil). There are way too many Fisks out there – willing to get beat up by angry Muslims because “we deserve it.”
When the hell are we acutally going to implement the Bush doctrine on Syria and Iran asses? How about finally letting Israel off the leash? How about admitting that Islam is not always a religion of peace?
OK – I admit I’m being a bit contration this evening. It’s partly a release of my worst fears, and partly a thought exercise to try to isolate our worst vulnerabilities.
