| It is interesting to point out similarities with situation in US military/civilian attitudes. Prior to 2000 and dating back to Reagan years, there was a sappy, sentimental attitude about "our boys" being sacrificed and what some call the "body bag" mentality. This mentality held that no president could survive politically while TV news should views of body bags with US miitary casualites being shipped back from overseas "adventures". This was why Reagan cut and ran from Lebanon, why the original Iraq war had to be stopped short of removing Sadaam, and why Bill Clinton had to order civilian bombing of Belgrade from 20,000 plus feet or higher altitudes. Maybe it was 9/11 that changed these attitudes or maybe it was the having a president like George Bush who did what had to be done without regard for opinion polls, but as a result, the US military is tought enough to accomplish things in Iraq that even most generals would have considered impossible just a few years ago. |
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