WAR ISN'T JUST LOST, BUT FADING AWAY

Though my historical expertise on Vietnam is limited to who really won that war and what became that conflict--one thing is certain: Iraq is going to follow a similar path no matter what happens in years hence.

In the closing days of the Vietnam war, politicians and the military sold themselves out by portraying Vietnam as a success and how good things were really working--even as the Saigon airlift was in full swing.

Nobody wanted to admit defeat in the eyes of our enemies.

Decades later, we have the same thing going on: Politicians and the military glossing over how "swell" things are going in Iraq; spouting positive numbers and declaring the troop "surge" a success.

But just a few days ago, I suddenly got the sense that--outside of the politicians and the military brass--nobody really cared about what was going on in Iraq.

Nobody in the public is cheering. No one is rallying behind the troops. In fact (like in Vietnam), there's nothing. Just a quiet and persistent form of war fatigue.

Everyone knows that we aren't leaving Iraq now or in the next 50 years. We haven't brought real peace or stability to Iraq. Just spent the last 5 years ruining a country and installing a shim-sham, puppet government.

But the politicians, the military, and even the media are working overtime to convince the people that the war is not lost and we are indeed winning.

If that's the case, then why I do get the distinct impression that no one really cares how the war is going?

Schuyler Thorpe

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Everett, WA 98204

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