Simple Minded...

Fred Reed's latest post talks of "Another South", one that he grew up in and one that his parents abandoned. He speaks of his father, what he did, and why. Says Fred:

My father, with the simple-minded patriotism of the South of the time, had gone back into the military to be an artillery spotter for the Marines in Korea.

There is no anger or malice in this statement, only a retelling of the event.

In some ways, it answers - for me - why so many young Americans still go into the military, after five years of this insane Iraqi quagmire, a place where they will spend repeated years getting shot at by fanatics, exploded into bits by IED's, never able to get a real nights sleep for months on end, where they have a real chance of dying - or worse - coming home with no arms or legs.

Simple minded patriotism. That's Bush's secret weapon, that's what he plays to when he goes on TV, that's what he depends on to continue his wars.

But there's only so many simple minded youngsters who fall for the Honor, Duty, Country bit, the idea that they will be fighting to save America.

Sooner or later, they will figure out the rest of the slogan: "You made them strong. We'll make then Army strong". They will come to realize that the last part of that little Madison Avenue ditty is... "and then, Army dead."

At that point, simple minded patriotism will vanish. And Bush's wars will end.