BCT Editorial – 2/7/07

This page was last updated on February 8, 2007.

Shared sacrifice; Editorial; Beaver County Times; February 7, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Instead of being a commander-in-chief who mobilizes the American people in the war against terrorism and the occupation of Iraq, President Bush apparently has settled for the role of psychologist-in-chief.

“Last Saturday, Bush attended the House Democrats’ annual retreat. After his speech, he answered questions in a private session. The Washington Post reported he asked them to keep the conversation private.

“However, Washington being Washington, leaks happened.

“The Post reported U.S. Rep. Susan A. Davis, D-Calif., told the president about her concern that the military is fighting a war without the rest of the country sharing the sacrifice.

“In response, Bush went New Age touchy-feely. He disagreed with Davis, saying the war is psychologically draining for the entire country and that it is ‘sapping our souls’ in some ways.

“Sorry, but this ‘it’s all about me’ response doesn’t cut it.

“One concern that we have expressed repeatedly is that because the United States has an all-volunteer military, only a small percentage of the American people are bearing the burden in the war against terrorism and the occupation of Iraq.

“While the 0.4 percent of our population that is in the military is making enormous sacrifices - emotional, psychological, physical and financial - the rest of us are relatively unaffected by what is taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

[RWC] This is a problem for the Times and similar thinkers. Not because these folks are genuinely concerned about our volunteers, but because the absence of a draft didn’t work out the way they expected. You see, when we eliminated the draft, these folks believed (hoped?) no one would volunteer to defend the country.

“We might not like what we see on television or read in the paper, but we don’t have to live with the war 24/7 as the men and women in the military and their families do. We cannot even begin to approximate what they are going through.

“But instead of asking Americans to make some real sacrifices to the war effort, Bush reinforces the bumper-sticker jingoism that permeates America today. The men and women in our military deserve better from their commander-in-chief and the people they are fighting to protect.”

[RWC] Did you note what’s missing, other than credibility? The editorial provided no examples of “real sacrifices” it would support. I wonder why.