> Be easy on me in your reply. If I've muddled this post it's > because I'm tired and have to get on a jet and travel to a > pleasant country in the morning...though not exactly where > I'd wish to be in it. I hope you got there OK! I didn't finish my first attempt at a reply to your post. I think I intended ending it by saying that the existence of people who "want the US to lose" the current war (wars?) isn't a guide to what the US should do now. Also really my question was about what would count as losing, but perhaps I should have asked what would count as winning. Judy Evans, Cardiff ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Yost" <eyost1132@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 4:14 AM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The beginning of the end in Iraq > >>--people here actually DO seem to want the US to lose > > > in Iraq. > > what does Grange mean by "lose in Iraq"? > > _____ > > Obviously only he can say. My impression of the matter is > this: some Americans (not necessarily leftists) would love > to see the American troops defeated militarily through > attrition, defeated in spirit, and brought home in disgrace > as in Vietnam. If this were to happen it would validate > their entire world view. > > If there were to be another Vietnam, then the people whose > entire worldview was shaped by Vietnam would not have to > accept new developments into their thinking. So I'm talking > about more than just hating Bush and wanting all of Bush's > projects to fail: there's a strong current of *alienated > masochism* here. > > Be easy on me in your reply. If I've muddled this post it's > because I'm tired and have to get on a jet and travel to a > pleasant country in the morning...though not exactly where > I'd wish to be in it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html