The coming economic contraction in the US should really spur enlistment rates. And there's nothing like sign-up bonuses to help with those pesky debts or maybe even avoid foreclosure.

All they gotta do is keep the rising rate of inequality keep rising, until they squeeze their troops out of the have-not-so-muches.

so glad you've come around on Afghanistan! Yes, there was a problem which may have, in some way, originated in Afghanistan. But the 9-11 plot was hatched and sent on its way years before, and the protagonists in America years before it happened.

Anyway, just take the same thinking and extend it to Gulf War 1, and the War On Iraq, and you'll be coming along fine.

One of these days, you might even concede that "Every man for himself, and God against all" isn't a good motto for domestic politics, but I won't hold my breath.

History will call it the "War On Iraq". The United States went in and made war on the nation of Iraq, destroying the nation's infrastructure and killing or dispersing its people.

The Bush regime passed the point of no return long ago. By now, they have more to fear from stopping the War On Iraq at which point, to some degree, the books will be opened and the country will get a good look at what happened. They have lass to fear, personally, from starting a new war, with its attendant chances of declaring a state of emergency (or something close to it) which will render them immune from investigation.

Besides, all anybody will be talking about is the draft, and whether virgins or non-virgins should be drafted. Wouldn't want those more sexually experienced personnal corrupting our good Christian warriors! Why not? Makes as much sense as a lot of our discourse on these matters.

If he has to contend with an openly gay guy. He won't be able to stand it. I say he'll walk, or do something really stupid.

Either Boylan has been impersonated or his computer has been compromised or Salon's has.

Or maybe it's all just a dream that Glenn had. He dreamed up the original message and then woke up and e-mailed to authenticate. Leaving confusion in his wake.

Yeah, sure! That's the ticket!

Why are we getting all famischt over this e-mail? Whats's all the sturm und drang, baby? Of course it's fake!! It's from one of those "phony soldiers" Rush was talking about!

Now you know!

The good news is: we've got so many "phony soldiers" no one will have to do multiple tours!

. I'm honestly interested in knowing: what else besides abject stupidity can explain this? I mean that as a serious question.

Herd instinct, or group-think. For a right-winger, the pleasures inherent in letting your mind meld with the mass stupidity, mendacity and banality (and anality, for that matter) of your peers is a pleasure which exceeds all others. Certainly it's a whole lot better than independent thought. That's hard work!

While Col. Boylan's English may be a little stilted, he is a master of all the major languages of the Middle East and conversant in over 20 dialects, some of them quite obscure.

Oh. some mornings I just slay myself! Sorry, sorry.

You do realise, right, that politicisation of the Armed Forces is what the 2nd Amendment is all about, don't you? That is, we can't have an Army (or Navy or whatever) composed only of, say Baptists or Cathlics or Republicans. That's that whole "well regulated militia" they're talking about, since those men would have been familiar with the contortions the British Armed Forces had to go through with the different Protestant-Catholic sucessions. So nobody could be denied, on a creedal basis, from serving in the US Armed Forces.

Not gun control.

I'm not saying that's happening, and obviously Col. Boylan could use a little humiliation, but . . . does he deserve any bad things beyond that?

I dunno, the guy's in Iraq, I feel like he deserves some slack. I wish he would 'fess up, be embarrassed, and move on

You know, cause that whole Iraq imbroglio is such a little pissant problem. Why not have second and third rate personnel, the unstable, the politicised working on that Iraq thing. I mean, it's not like it actually matters or anything! It's not like people are dying or anything!

Something amazing I keep noting -- these folks always speak with one voice --

CarolynC

You see, Carolyn, for wingnuts reaching the lowest common denominator is a form of logical proof.

And when rhetorically and intellectually, they descend to the bottom, they think they are on solid ground.

which stands against the politicisation of the military is... wait for it - The Second Amendment! You know, the one that states that no man shall be denied bearing arms in a well regulated militia, that one.

After all, that was how the military was had always been politicised: You restricted the military (meaning, usually the officer corp) to one religion, or those who will swear allegiance to a certain political leader. Instead, in America, any and all men who were willing to defend the new country could join and presumably advance, in the military.

How that Amendment ever became the amendment which sanctifies your right to keep a pistol around in case you need to shoot your wife, I'll never know.

on Petraus and his "counterinsurgency manual"

It's a fraud from beginning to end, plagairised, with no factual basis. A manual to get our troops killed by.

They are total phonies!