Hmm. Greenwald is a tool, but he does grab onto a nugget of truth now and then. We've still got reserve units being called up on a routine basis. Reserves are supposed to be just that -- reserves, units that you only call upon in a desperate situation. And we all know that the American public at large is just sick of it -- sick of war news, sick of war casualties, sick of war spending, sick of war anything.

Having said that, we do have the example of the Cold War, which went on for decades. That's the thing about war; it doesn't work on anyone's timetable. A war ends when one side wins, however, long that takes.

Of course, the Cold War was, well, cold; it didn't involve the two sides shooting at each other on a routine basis. Perhaps we can set up a long-term framework for the continued prosecution of Al Queda and its allies that works similarly. Part of the problem is that there will necessarily still be some shooting, because the other side is shooting at us; in that respect the current conflict is not similar to the Cold War. However, if we do it right, we can make it work similarly in that the day-to-day impact to the American public will consist of relatively minor inconveniences, as the Cold War did.

A lot of you aren't going to like this, but a big part in making that work will be the use of UAVs to survey and attack the enemy. By using UAVs, we can attack the enemy without taking risks with personnel that the public would find unacceptable, and minimize civilian casualties. Keep in mind that 95% of this action will be on foreign soil in areas that are essentially failed states (such as eastern Pakistan), with the rest being along the Mexican border, which we need to get under control anyway.

Now, about those inconveniences to the American public. I'm not talking about TSA-style surveillance, which is both unconstitutional and just plain ridiculous. However, there will be certain inconveniences, such as restrictions on what can be brought into public gatherings, not being able to park right next to the airport terminal, that kind of thing. It was an inconvenience to 1950s America to have to build fallout shelters and do attack drills. They survived it.

The other thing that is going to be required, going by the Cold War example, is broad agreement by both our leadership and the public in general. As in the 1950s, there will have to be social and professional consequences for those who work against it. With the current state of leftism in the U.S., this level of agreement cannot be reached. Therefore, anti-American leftism must be thoroughly and utterly defeated. That's going to be the challenge of first half of the 21st century for America. Right now, it looks like we're headed for failure.

The problem is that the war is not strictly with al-Qaida but with many other Islamic groups.

What needs to happen is the U.S. needs to become energy independent as much as possible. Then as Pat Condell put it we need to stop Patronising the Palestinians and the rest of the Muslim world. If they want to be bastards within their own countries -- fine -- it's your country. But when you leave your country, don't expect us to kiss your ass. If your country uses arms against another country -- don't expect appeasement, expect to die.

> Greenwald is a tool,

Stop!

> but

Dammit...

> he does grab onto a nugget of truth now and then.

While perfectly correct twice a day,
a broken clock is nonetheless useless.
                          — Some Bright Guy
                          — Somewhere, Sometime

I seriously believe there's some psychopathology happening with that guy. The ruthless brutality of some of his fondest beliefs is absolutely off the charts. Like the hands of time, decency will sweeps over him occasionally, accepting no hospitality and taking no pause. He may sometimes find righteousness, but he is not a nice man. He does not mean well.

I understand how, in a world of desperate need, sincere men will investigate these sources with dispassionate curiosity.

Don't hold your breath.

This was actually the one I was reaching for, but you get the point.

Greenwald only has a New York Times Best Selling Book on the Bush Administration and its abuses of power. And he has one of the most-read blogs on the Interent, after 9 months of blogging. And Senators read from his blog at Senate hearings and his posts lead to front-page news stories in major newspapers.

Good DAY Sir!

So Greenwald is "popular" and therefore we should respect his opinion?

Good to know. If Kim Kardashian is "more popular" perhaps we should take her (more) seriously than we do Greenwald?

First, we'll start with the end: The "ironic quotes" around your blog name for no discernible reason. I mean, "Rick Ellensburg" isn't something special that someone said one time, right? You're not quoting anyone, are you?

(I remember when Robin Harris died, and Eddie Murphy bought a page in the showbiz trades for a sentimental goodbye, and he used that same technique: Because quotation marks are just plain "classy." Right?)

Second, let's note that amongst the many mechanical flaws with the NYT bestseller list —disregarding, for the moment, it's failures of editorial coherence— is the fact that it doesn't actually list the best-selling books in America. Christian titles, inexplicable discounted from calculation, might always lead the ranking otherwise.

Third, a fascination with the "Bush administration and its abuses of power" speaks mostly to your own naivete: You're the typical American seen in adult life nowadays, an goofball obliviously raised in Reagan's fresh wealth and braised in Clinton's good luck who never paid any attention to the evils wrought by government in his own name. Suddenly, world events are on the news, and you've convinced yourself —despite a tepid life of distraction and indulgence— that you know things about decency that other men don't, and that mean man Dubya never could. (I doubt this.)

Fourth, the popularity of a blog is of no moral consequence whatsoever, and you're a buffoon for implying otherwise; furthermore, years of columns on Salon and similar internet outlets water the soup of GG's 'achievement' substantially.

Fifth, the Senate is for shit, as any sane man will affirm.

Sixth, I think a thoughtful reader of my earlier comment might discern that I'd regard the attention paid to a noisemaking personality as a poor measure of his or her good character.

Seventh, and this is for you personally: Sometimes people are so teenage-sarcastic that it's difficult for the rest of us to understand whether they're serious or just completely befuddled.

Don't weep; this happens with other commenters who've been here a long time, and apparently regard themselves as very clear-headed.

Eighth, I should have know Isab was going to have taken you down already, and saved the wear on this precious keyboard.

(Important museums have been pestering the office to ask how much life is left in this thing; they know that it's destined to fail eventually, and that some really pivotal thoughts have found expression through this thing. So they want to give it a home when I'm through with it... A big kiosk, with dramatic lighting, a small card of explanatory text, and perhaps a small, stagelike-platform from which a docent can share anecdotes with tour groups.)

But as Michael Jordan used to say, it ain't the shoes, y'know?

GODDAMIT!

I'VE BEEN HAD!!!!!!

We shall meet again, sir... We shall meet again.

whimper

Yea Crid, me too. Guess I should have clicked on the freeking link. :-) K

Greenwald is POS. I read the Sociopath piece. A rare jem.

I should have recognized the Carolla form of "I said Good Day, Sir!"

Anyone who prattles on about the "crimes" of Bush and never mentions the fact that Obama is in fact worse on the same issues is a goddamn moron and should be told so publicly and often

"What needs to happen is the U.S. needs to become energy independent as much as possible. Then as Pat Condell put it we need to stop Patronising the Palestinians and the rest of the Muslim world. "

Oh, I totally agree. And this is what really pisses me off about the Keystone pipeline thing -- right now, we have the first opportunity we've had in decades to achieve independence from Arab and South American oil, and Washington is bound and determined to stand in the way. It is something we absolutely must do in order to pursue a post-Bush-doctrine strategy. To me, their interference is treasonous.

Identify yourself, "Rick"... I must know.

Wasn't me, Crid. Wish I'd thought of it, though. He almost got me too, but I was thinking of Greenwald's sock-puppetry episode when I read it, and I recognized some of the wording from the kerfuffle at Ace's.

I hadn't heard about it, but that sounds like Glen g... All teenage outrageousness....