Guys, some of the comments on yesterday's entry are great ideas, but I wasn't asking what I can do to support our troops. I was infuriated that the GOVERNMENT isn't telling me to do these things. Personally I think the best thing we can do is bring them home, but that wasn't my point. I want to know why, if we ARE at war, We the People aren't being asked to sacrifice. Far from it: we're being encouraged to spend money like crazy, to buy new cars and have nips and tucks and try our damndest to get on some dumbass "reality" show. And not worry our pretty little heads about this nasty war, the government will take care of everything, just vote for us and pay your taxes, dear, which we'll spend on felonious "defense contractors" while National Guard families decalre bankruptcy.

And Becky, you're totally wrong. We're far from the only nation that's ever aided defeated enemies, and we haven't always behaved in such a kind-hearted fashion ourselves. (Native Americans ring any bells?) It's not our generosity the rest of the world is having trouble with, it's our greed. As Justine said, it's our desire to have it all and pay for none of it. We want our chemicals (as long as the plants are in Bhopal) and our cheap sneakers (as long as Chinese 10 year olds are working 12 hour factory shifts to make them, and not our kids). We want our revenge for 9/11 (even if the Arab ass we're kicking didn't do it) and we want our war without flag-draped coffins, amputees or weeping widows. We're a pretty sad and sorry excuse for the country we were supposed to be.