I think thats an entirely unfair statement. Obviously when we talk of “war fatigue” stateside we are not talking of the same thing our troops are going through. Media Fatigue is probably a better phrase for those who choose not to make the intuitive leap.

I don’t think I’m that different from many folks in thinking that there simply isn’t anything we can do with this President and a Congress to scared to yank funding to halt the war. Its almost the same news every day about whats going on over there, and same news about Washington not changing the game plan any. Whats to be done? How much of my life should I spend beating my head against that brick wall of presidential incompetence? The country is against the war, the voters spokoe pretty clearly a year ago at the polls, yet what does Dubya do? Sends more.

People over here not foolish enough to volunteer for an unnecessary and futile war effort have lives to lead, futures to plan, and things to do. I die a bit inside thinking of all the troops coming home with missing limbs and diminished futures because they believed in an idiot presidents childish dreams of fixing the world by the sword. But it was their decision and we the people are at the mercy of an exec who either doesn’t know what he’s doing or has another agenda going. All I know is I’m not risking my life and limb to play a part in it, and all the letters I write to senators and congressmen have done nothing. So maybe you can tell me what I should be doing, what I should be setting my labors aside for instead of getting on with my life and hoping ’09 comes as fast as it can.

Right after Petraeus reported on the surge, war coverage dropped off the face of the earth. I honestly think we’d be moving on to Iran, if the military gave Bush/Cheney the go ahead.

2) The fact that people finally get that we can’t do a damn thing to change the president’s mind on the war, and he intents to keep us there till he’s out of office. I certainly know I’ve been in the “what’s the point?” phase of my anger about the war for some time now.

I completely agree!!

So (here at home again) how much is fatigue and how much is ADD? Does it mean I hate America if I say something comparing the attention span of the average citizen with the average Irish Setter?

Nothing against Irish Setters – we used to have one that was a great pheasant dog back in the 60s and she even pulled me out of the road once when I was in diapers… or so the family legend goes, but I digress…

1) Constant daily coverage for several years with little change in the story. Several soldiers die every few days, imbezzelment of money while infrastructure doesn’t improve, infighting among the locals preventing anything from getting better.

2) The fact that people finally get that we can’t do a damn thing to change the president’s mind on the war, and he intents to keep us there till he’s out of office. I certainly know I’ve been in the “what’s the point?” phase of my anger about the war for some time now.

Granted, political progress is still lacking (entirely). Granted, the enhanced security/lower rate of fatalities may be completely reversed (all for naught) as/after we withdraw. But it’s hard for most Americans, even avowed pacificsts, to continue sustained outrage in the face of fewer reasons to be outraged.

Yes, one fatality of an American soldier or innocent civilian is one too many. And no, I’m certainly not going to be one of those who argue for continuing this conflict indefinitely. But I do think it’s a rather normal and perhaps reasonable reaction to subdue outrage in the face of progress, no matter how fleeting it might be.