He stood so straight and tall, in his uniform and all
So last night was the president's speech commemorating the handover of power in Iraq to the interim government. As an army of leftist keyboardists have already pointed out, it’s nothing we haven't heard before.

9/11.
Iraq.
9/11.
Support our troops.
Buy a ribbon.
9/11.

I could go on, but if you really want to read the thing, Daily Kos has a transcript. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/28/195710/973Now the boilerplate speech really isn't that deserving of comment. As I said before, we've heard it before...But W did make it clear, once and for all, in his eye, its most important that we support our troops by supporting the ribbon and magnet industry:

In this time of testing, our troops can know: The American people are behind you. Next week, our Nation has an opportunity to make sure that support is felt by every soldier, sailor, airman, coast guardsman, and Marine at every outpost across the world. This Fourth of July, I ask you to find a way to thank the men and women defending our freedom - by flying the flag ... sending letters to our troops in the field ... or helping the military family down the street. The Department of Defense has set up a website - AmericaSupportsYou.mil. You can go there to learn about private efforts in your own community. At this time when we celebrate our freedom, let us stand with the men and women who defend us all.

That's right, the way to support our troops is by buying ribbons and flying flags. It’s not supporting them by doing things like supporting veteran's hospitals, donating money for body armor, or heck, even making sure the yellow ribbon you buy is from the one that donates its proceeds to a veteran's group instead of the ones that are made in China.

The President inadvertantly highlighted for me the main problem we are having in the War on Terror. For those people that don't know someone actually fighting in Iraq, this war is one devoid of sacrifice for the citizenry. Instead of war bonds, we sell our debt to the Chinese (and buy their ribbons). Instead of raising monies for body armor and vehicle armor, we get a tax cut and we aren't even asked to have a bake sale. And heaven's forbid we actually ask people to conserve energy or do anything besides consume consume consume.

Scratch that, make that "consume and put a ribbon on the SUV." No wonder the poll numbers are so fluid when people are asked about the war in Iraq...as a country, most of us aren't in involved in a real way in the way this country is run or what we’re doing abroad.
- posted by Damien Newton @ 7:16 PM