Ken Burns's The War is ending this hour, and it's been a heckuva ride. George Bush has recently alluded to the illusion that the current generation is 'The New Greatest Generation' - since I have heard nobody accept this designation, I will just assume that everyone realizes how bizarre and ridiculous that comment is and how it tells much more about the buffoon in the White House than about any generation.
[Note: I found that citation at www.whitehouse.gov a week ago, from a talk given in the last month, but it doesn't show up in a search at that site now and Google doesn't find it, and I feel silly even looking for it. It happened, he said it, that's all I know.]
Update: deben in the comments provides this link to Countdown referencing Gen. Petraeus's describing 'a new greatest generation'. Thanks, deben!
For all the emotion this 'television event' arouses, I am particularly struck by the line from the last hour which gives me my title:
"At the end of the war, 750,000 men a month were returning home."
Over the past months, how many times have I heard our candidates debate and my friends here at DailyKos discuss gravely the logistical challenge we would face were we to withdraw from Iraq. One candidate is seen as a visionary for claiming that by sheer force of personality he can withdraw one or even two brigades a month from Iraq!
People, we are not talking brigades, we are not talking divisions, we are not talking corps, we are talking three ARMIES per month! 750,000 men per month!
That's the entire Iraq Expeditionary Force in a week!
Does anyone, from General David on down, doubt that we as a nation are vulnerable to an Archduke Ferdinand moment in Iraq? Kevin Drum cites - borrowing from Suzanne Nossel - this concept to make the point that
If we don't begin a planned exit, there's a good chance we'll find ourselves in an unplanned one
And does anyone doubt that if that moment comes we won't be able to vacate Iraq in under 3 months?
Let's get started, Democrats. Let's do it.
Support the troops. BRING THEM HOME!