I agree that anytime troops are charges with winning....what ever it take...the encounter is shortened significantly.

The special interest groups in our culture...including for money....don't upset the apple cart...don't make some one mad...don't kill any civilians....don't disturb the ant farms....have completely emasculated the USA's ability to win.

Don't just parrot the media....ask a returning veteran from any of the encounters enumerated above. In some area they are not even allowed to carry their weapons loaded to avoid offending the peoples there. Then there are those silly rules of engagement...asking to load their weapons...then again if it's OK to engage....

No war was EVER won from behind a desk...in front of a camera...in front of a microphone...and certainly not won polling everybody to see what they think.

I venture to say, if the same activity that is going on in Iraq was going on in TV's back yard, the same nay sayers would be demanding bringing it to an abrupt stop....what ever it takes.....especially if it affected happy hour or a T time or a club meeting.

If you have not been there....in the military.....with your hands tied to defend, unable to win....YOU HAVE NO IDEA of the reality.

Permissive pacifism and political correctness is what we have tolerated and approved by the SILENT MAJORITY'S lack of action.

BTK :edit: