Where are today’s war bonds?

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When President Bush says something that’s merely galling, it no longer merits a story. No one takes him seriously any more so why not reserve outrage for actions instead of mere words? But sometimes, his words are so revealing that you have to comment.

Recently, The Decider compared the current US aggressions to World War II.

"After World War II we helped Germany and Japan build free societies and strong economies. These efforts took time and patience, and as a result Germany and Japan grew in freedom and prosperity and are now allies of the United States,” Bush puffed.

Now that the two countries are merely in a rebuilding phase, perhaps he can cease his heroic sacrifice of giving up golf!

The US has occupied Iraq for over five years.

Five years into US occupation, both Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany were more or less stable countries with stable governments.

The US occupied Japan for a total of seven years and West Germany for eight. Does anyone seriously think we’ll be even close to out of Iraq by 2010 or 2011?

A real comparison with World War II would reveal far more than Bush would like. It would show exactly how illegitimate and immoral the current wars* are.

(*-By 'current wars,' I'm referring to the wars against Iraq, Afghanistan and terror)

During World War II, the entire nation was mobilized. Every man, woman and child was asked to sacrifice. Families were expected to plant Victory Gardens. Everything was recycled to avoid waste. Women left the home (which was considered a sacrifice back then) to work in factories were re-tooled to become part of the war effort.

Perhaps most tellingly, people bought war bonds. In a time when few were affluent, they made a voluntary choice to spend their money for something that they believed very important. They did this because most Americans believed that success in World War II was essential to the nation’s freedom.

Where are today’s war bonds?

Aside from intoning politically correct catchphrases ‘Never forget’ and ‘Freedom isn’t free,’ Americans today are asked to do nothing more than slap a yellow ribbon bumper sticker on their SUV before they go to the Gap and send a message to the America-hating Evildoers with their credit card.

This sentiment was echoed by President Bush’s own former spokespuppet Scott McClellan, who said, "What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary, and the Iraq war was not necessary” and that "One of the worst disasters in our nation's history became one of the biggest disasters in Bush's presidency.”

One can certainly question McClellan’s motives. One can assume that he’s merely trying to clear what’s left of his conscience regarding a once-popular war that’s now seen as a disaster; it’s funny how many sleazeballs suddenly gain a moral code once the poll numbers collapse. One can doubt his sincerity for not resigning rather than being complicit in what he himself calls a ‘Culture of Deception.’ But the comments are revealing nonetheless.

This casual attitude, the refusal to ask for sacrifice, the lust for force as a first option rather than a last, illustrates how the current wars have never had anything to do with our nation’s freedom.

And given the way both have been mismanaged, I think every American should all be grateful they have nothing to do with our freedom. Every American except for few hundred thousand who are risking their lives because of this ‘Culture of Deception’ and their families.

If it really mattered, we’d ALL be asked to make sacrifices. Not just the soldiers and their families.

If it really mattered, we’d all be asked to make real sacrifices. We’d be asked to make sacrifices more significant than a moment of silence here or an hour-long ceremony on Memorial Day there. We'd be asked to make sacrifices more significant than giving up golf.

If it really mattered, we’d be asked to take action, not merely engage in symbolism.

That we expect young kids to bear the entirety of the burden we know to be unnecessary and for the exclusive benefit of a small oligarchy of huge corporations, shows the hollowness not only of the current wars, not only of our nation’s so-called leaders, but of our whole society for meekly accepting this disgraceful state of affairs without questioning why.