As Cold as the Clay

The U S Army is taking recruits up to 42 years of age and has drastically reduced it's educational and aptitude test requirements for initial enlistment. If you actually have a skill they can use, they will give you a waiver regardless of age. Policies like this have not been in place since the darkest days of World War II. Even with these radically relaxed policies, the Government finds it necessary to employ hundreds of thousands of civilian contractors to supplement the Armed Forces personnel in the theater. Increasing numbers of non volunteer career Navy and Air Force personnel from both enlisted and officer ranks are being ordered to Iraq to serve in support roles, in rotations of ever increasing lengths. Davey Petreaus, a General more adept at killing off his competition than the enemy, says he may be unable to rotate the troops out of the theater as planned, when the "Surge" winds down next Summer. Though he adamantly denies it, the math suggests that the already extended combat tours of fifteen months duration will have to be extended once again and the twelve month out of theater rotation, will have to be shortened. In a very short while, the fifth year and four thousandth KIA of the Iraq War will be recorded as historical fact.

The bullet headed Neocon tools, over at Roger Simon's Politico, are slyly suggesting that the tide in Iraq has turned and that support for the War is increasing, as real progress is being made in Iraq. Let me be so bold as to ask, where is this support? What progress has been made?

The government in Iraq is not functional and cannot remain in power without the American presence. It exercises no authority over large areas of the country and larger segments of the population. The Iraqi civil defense forces and police are creatures of warring tribal strongmen. Only huge monthly monetary tribute to these tribal chieftains, keeps the situation from deteriorating into civil war and ethnic cleansing. No efforts are being made, at any level, to reconcile the antagonistic factions. No one in the Iraqi government or the American occupation even talks about it anymore.

On the home front, the voices of war are strangely silent. High ranking military leaders willing to speak positively of our efforts in Iraq have vanished. War news has disappeared from television news coverage and local newspapers. Where are the voices of support from the local bourgeoisie? Where are the returning veterans being honored at half time ceremonies, back at their local high schools? Where are the new crop of young men, clamoring to join the fray so bravely fought by their recent classmates? Where are the local politicians beating the drums of a pro war platform up on the band stand at the Forth of July picnic? Where are the war bond drives? Where are the young girls at the USO canteens?

Does the sniveling little coward, Roger Simon, stop at the local bus station, with his family, on the way home from Temple on Saturday afternoon and take a lonely soldier in rumpled pinks, duffel slung, newly awarded combat infantry badge glinting on his chest, home for dinner. Gee, I must have missed that mention in the archives of fucking Politico.

Apathy and resignation is not the same as support. A decrease in casualties is not the same as progress. Iraq is not Vietnam. At least with Vietnam, people cared. One way or another.