Odd? Not Really.

Blogger 'Atrios' (sarcastically) states that it's odd that none of the leading political figures in support of the Iraq war have called upon citizens of this country-- particularly the most vocal supporters in the Republican base-- to enlist in the military to fight for Iraq when they are needed the most.

It's not very odd at all... it's transparently expected. I read sites like the National Review every day and I see lots of posts obsessing over the 2008 race or hand-wringing over immigration, but absolutely no posts whatsoever about supporting the war effort or calls to action. Nothing about the status of the troops and/or their deployments. These are the same people, of course, who use the troops as political shields to obscure the debate and cover up realities of military funding.

War supporters actually talk very little about the war-- except when they're scapegoating the media or liberals for bad news-- and they discuss the reality of the war for the troops even less (ie. the disappearing Walter Reed scandal).

The reason is obvious. If people knew about how stretched and abused the much-heralded troops are, or what a pathetically-scraped together plan Bush's 'surge' really is, they wouldn't be able to sustain their fantasy bubble about how we're always just six months away from certain victory. They'd have to admit we're close to the breaking point and that it's time to find the least damaging way out.

They have no real solutions or plans... just a lot of optimistic bravado.

There are basic questions every war supporter must answer if they are intellectually honest: How we can sustain an indefinition occupation without bleeding the military dry (since there will never be another draft, and recruiting is way down) and without destroying the treasury (since Republicans seemed to now regard ever raising taxes as downright blasphemous). And, of course, without draining what remains of our international credibility and the patience of the American people.

That those questions aren't even asked in the needed circles is, again, not odd at all.

[PS- The President admitted on Tuesday that his treatment of the military is "unacceptable". He was, of course, trying to preemptively blame the newly announced extended tours of duty on Democrats. Some ' very thoughtless person' gave away his big surprise.

I don't get how war supporters can defend the President; he's not even honest in his support for his own escalation.]