1346 Days.

[gridlore]

12/7/1941 through 8/14/1945. Between those two dates, the United States went from a nation at peace with small standing Army and a (frankly) outdated Navy to winning World War II. In those few short years, we became the free world's arsenal, mobilized millions of men and women, and not only helped to take down Hitler's fearsome war machine, but hopped from island to island across the Pacific to bring down the Japanese Empire. We had a goal, and planned for what would happen once the war had ended. We helped to reshape the world.

I bring this up because our involvement in Iraq just passed World War II in terms of length. We have no plan, no one thought about what to do after Saddam fell, and because Bush is trying to do this on the cheap, we're stuck in the middle of another quagmire.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/24/0620/2153

Comments

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

Can you say "Vietnam"? I knew you could.

[firestrike.livejournal.com]

It's amusing to compare terminology.

It's a standing Army, but a sitting Congress...

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

I'm reasonably certain that the Russian had something to do with winning WWII, given that something like more than 80% of German casualties occurred on the Eastern Front...

[pauldrye.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, Iraq hardly equals Nazi Germany, Italy *and* Japan.

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

How can you say that? Haven't you been paying careful attention to the Dear Leader of the Free World™?

Bush (or his speechwriters) have drawn that comparison more than a few times. It seems only fair to hold up the comparison to further scrutiny.

I'm beginning to wonder if a modified version of Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" political system might not be a good idea. If the authority to order offensive wars rested with people who had seen action themselves, they would be in a better position to balance rewards with the inevitable costs.

[10binary-cats.livejournal.com]

Define "offensive"

Define "war"