Bob Herbert: How to Lose A War - Just Give Up

Taking a page from Walter Kronkite, Bob Herbert, who is in a four-way heat with MoDo, Rich, and Krugman in the contest for most loathsome Times columnist, paints a picture of America's military so dire and gloomy that one can be forgiven for momentarily forgetting our huge successes in overthrowing the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. In Herbert's world, we're in a 'quagmire' (oh, how the Left loves that word!) not seen since the days of Vietnam, and the few isolated (though shameful) documented instances of barbarism by our troops are turned into a horror not seen since the Spanish Inquisition (perhaps Herbert could benefit from reading our good friend Christopher Hitchens; then he'd find out the REAL meaning of torture as practiced by the Baathists).

Nowhere, of course, are the Iraqi elections mentioned, or the 'Arab Spring' in Lebanon; indeed, the whole changed dynamic of the Middle East is completely painted out of the picture. Herbert would have us believe that our troops have died for nothing at all. Does that mean our Iraqi campaign has been all a bed of roses? Only a fool would say that...but only a bigger fool would give up the fight and just walk away, when we've invested so much treasure and blood. Bob, here's a thought - next time you get so pessimistic, why not take a look at Arthur Chrenkoff's Good News From Iraq? You might find out there's another side to the coin...