Peggy Noonan: Will America crumple at the sight of its own blood?

The Times (U.K.) ^ | 03/26/03 | Peggy Noonan

[TightSqueeze]

9 out of ten Americans are for the most part a bunch of spoiled suburban toy poodles.

More like 9 out of 10 Americans love their country and give a third of their wealth to a government that not only piss away their money but their life blood too, all in the name of safety.

[Illbay]

Peggy: Don't confuse the average American with the American media.

The media are "celebrities," after all. And we all know how much in common "celebrities" have with the rest of us.

[AAABEST]

That too. Except in reality it's over 50% when all is said and done and worked into the equation.

We all work over half our lives for the government. That's every other day, or from January thru July.

[palmer]

The idea was that if you go in with overwhelming force, victory will beat the bodybags home.

It depends on your long term goals. If you expect to stay a while, then you have to consider how to win the hearts and minds of the population against a regime using them as hostages. If you don't win over the population, then it's quite possible to have more body bags in the long run.

[grb]

Another guy, (armed forces retired - desert storm) came on and said this guy's numbers were total nonsense.

[zeebee]

>>No need really as they will surely be replaced come '04.<<

Why do you say that?

[weegee]

Peggy Noonan: Will America crumple at the sight of its own blood?"

Interesting question seeing as how the left stopped airing footage of the WTC attack within a matter of days and all of the carnage footage/shots was censored in America. The reason given is that it would do TOO MUCH to provoke Americans to want revenge.

Since they would not show us any of those bodies (also with the "respect" due the dead people) then I certainly don't want Big Media showing me dead American soliders and dead/injured Iraqi civilians and children.

They play a propaganda game and don't seek to inform the public of anything that couldn't just be "said".

[CyberAnt]

You're so right!! LOL

[fightu4it]

"The question on everyone's mind that nobody in the US can bear to discuss."

Earth to Peggy: Don't get your panties in a knot!

Only leftists like yourself continue to under estimate the will of the US militaty and the US people. Take your medication and when you wake up it will be a whole new day.

[CGTRWK]

To speak of possible high losses seems fear-mongering, alarmist, lacking in faith. No one in the United States has said the word bodybags since before the fighting began.

She must not have spoken to any liberals lately, they can barely stop salivating over losses and bodybags long enough to badmouth the tax cut.

[gcruse]

you don’t go on to the field at Gettysburg chattering about likely losses and the impact back home.

That's right.  And on a similar note, you don't go into war asking
how much it is going to cost.  If you are basing warfare on whether
or not you can afford it, then your reasons for going to war are inadequate,
whatever they are.

[Nick Danger]

Earth to Peggy... Only leftists like yourself

Peggy Noonan? A leftist? Ronald Reagan's speechwriter a leftist?

[vpintheak]

I believe the guy was in the armed forces, and was basing it on military exercises. Which when training in urban cicumstances, it is not uncommon for a platoon in defense to be able to inflict that much damage on a battalion on offense. Urban warfare, by defenders that know what they are doing is a scary thing.

[Grenada]

Um, Peggy is most definatly, 100%, absolutly NOT, I repeat, NOT a lefty.....she wrote a great book about President Reagan and a book that thrashed Hillary. She was President Reagan's speechwriter.

She is a wonderful lady, a brilliant writer, and a conservative.

[SuziQ]

Anyone know if this 70-90 percent is about the right number, or was this guy way way off??

Doesn't sound right to me. I think is was someone scaremongering.

I noticed several media folks talking about the Pew poll that was taken after that particularly brutal day we had. The 'american people' were pessimistic about the outcome of the war. Should anyone be surprised at those poll results? The 24 hour cable cycle had been beating those negative stories for the entire day! Of course folks would be wary after a day like that. What we have to do is look at the whole, not just the parts.

Everyone is making the assumption that our boys are not trained for urban warfare. On the contrary, since the debacle in Mogadishu, they've been training hard for that possibility.

[Ruth A.]

Great post from Peggy again.

Atrocities like 9/11 give us steel in the backbone. Unfortunately, the tempering comes at a high, high sacrifice. Executing POWS, raping our military only serve to steel us again.

Yes, chemical and urban warfare are possibilities in the future. Wringing hands and discussing them ad nasuem will do no good. Instead I will pray for the troops and the leaders. I will pray that barbarians will be brought to justice and leave the mode of justice to the Lord.

I love the quote by Clancy. It is worth putting here:

The novelist Tom Clancy, a great respecter of the military and appreciator of Americans, told me: “The American people are the same people they were in 1942.” We can take losses, he said, we are just as tough as ever. But “there has to be a good reason. The people will accept what’s necessary but not what isn’t.” Meaning the American people will suffer through and accept if they believe the war is needed and America’s position is right.

[MHGinTN]

I dare say the despotic democrat party is doing plenty of polling, to judge whne to exploit the sentiments of casualties and thus the American electorate. I'm really sick of the democrats getting away with their exploitative manipulations. The Arab press and the democrat party have that in common ... they lie for effect and get away with it because their constituencies want to be lied to.

[lainde]

Wow an unexpected Peggy...Thanks Pokey!

[ArneFufkin]

She always ask questions like this when she doubts her own resolve. Of course Bush ain't gonna quit, and neither are the Republicans.

LOL! You've noted the beauty, wonder and weirdness of Peggy's columns. They are emotional roller coasters.