Great post Jerome.

I agree, that is a fantastic way of justifying anything. Is it even true? Graffiti on the wall of a US base in Iraq: "America is not at war, the US Marines are at war. America is at the mall."

I am not sure the passion is there on the ground either. I suspect the US will be ejected form Iraq much like it was from Vietnam - it is running out of passion. Sooner or later Congress will call it off.

Unless peak oil hits hard soon. Then they may be able to dig in and convince people that we really need to protect those declining oil fields. Or they might attack Iran and get us in deeper that way.