The Clap

Yet another newspaper article frames the issue as the Tinkerbell Effect. This NYT article, entitled "As Casualties in Iraq Mount, Will Resolve Falter?" analyzes the question of whether continuing casualties will weaken the "resolve" of the American public. Look, this isn't a mountain climbing expedition where we all need to keep cheerleading each other to the top. This is about this administration lying about the reasons for getting into a screwed up war and lying or being delusional about the costs of their little adventure. If increased body bags make more Americans turn on this policy, it isn't because they lack the steely-eyed resolve of Dear Leader and Chickenblogger Sullivan to send other peoples' kids to their deaths, it's because their cost-benefit analysis changes as new information comes in. Right now the costs are rising and the perceived benefit is shrinking. It isn't about resolve, or moral clarity, or courage, or whatever - it's just a recognition that Operation Inigo Montoya is a fool's errand with no good outcome.