Judgement Passed...

Nothing so aptly illustrates the bankruptcy of the President's Iraq policy than the announcement that the Army is short some eight thousand recruits this year.
Thats about what? Half a combat division?
Seems like small beers but when you've got an all volunteer army, a eight thousand man shortfall can easily double and even treble in very little time.
Such is the nature of this manpower gap, that the President actually had to hype joining the armed forces last week during his wretched little exercise in Iraq war boosterism.
I can't recall a President who had to beg people to join the army in a time of war, not in my lifetime at least.
Shit, there must be eight thousand kampus konservative bundists out there who are willing to sacrifice to fill in those gaps?
The oil industry alone alone must have eight thousand able bodied lobbyists who could be trained up as infantry.
Alas...nothing the call goes out across a silent and distracted nation.

America has passed judgement on this war and they want no part of it. Oh there are no shaggy Abbie Hoffman's in the street preaching riot and ruin, but the nation's abstention from combat is nigh on complete.
We wish the soldiers and sailors well, nobody is hassling them, but it is very much George Bush Jr's war in the minds of the general public.
This is the passive aggressive way America deals with a lot of unpleasant issues, keep the recruiters away from your kids and kill the TV whenever there is grisly footage from Baghdad.
Its not a particularly wise way to deal with the situation, it doesn't address the crippling debt the war is generating or the casualties that mount up. Otherwise we will put up with this misbegotten war as long as our own kids don't have to fight it.
Its not the most admirable attitude but it is realistic and understandable.
Which is why I still say the day the JCS marchs in and sez, either we draft or we sue for peace will be the day Bush folds his hand in IRaq.
of course, Secretary Rumsfeld and all the rest of the Admin's praetorians are working 24-7 towards whatever cockamammie lash up solution that will delay that confrontation even a little bit.

Sick
Demented
Typical