Not really sure what the "policy" is on cross-posting stuff from other blogs, but everyone (and I mean everyone) has to go check out this piece over at
Angry Bear. This is the most dramatic way I've seen the "War on Terror" put into some historical perspective.
This coming Thursday, May 19, 2005, will be the 1,346th day since the attacks of 9/11.
That is the same length of time from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the end of WWII on V-J Day. (Dec 7, 1941 to Aug 24, 1945)
Most comparisons between WWII and the Global War on Terror (GWOT) have been preposterous: Saddam Hussein was no Adlof Hitler; the "Axis of Evil" was no WWII Axis Powers; the far right even went so far as to compare Colin Powell to Neville Chamberlain.
:: more on the flip ::
But this milestone does provide the opportunity to compare the effectiveness of America's responses to both crises. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America came together, and with determination, shared sacrifice, and the effective and focused leadership of FDR, George C. Marshall, and many others, America and her allies were victorious.
After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, America once again came together. However, within months of 9/11, the Bush Administration lost focus and never clearly defined a winnable GWOT. Monty Python comedian Terry Jones quipped: "With most wars, you can say you've won when the other side is either all dead or surrenders. But how is terrorism going to surrender? It's hard for abstract nouns to surrender."
Perhaps this is a good frame to pick up, to show just what a miserable failure Bush and his neo-con policies are. I hope we hear more and more of this as Thursday approaches, and I'm writing this diary in hopes that it get's more attention.
The end line is the best:
It took 1,346 days to win WWII. 1,346 days after 9/11, what have we accomplished?
Go read it all...