1351

[womzilla]

If I'm counting correctly, it has been 1351 days since September 11th, 2001.

The number of days between Pearl Harbor and the surrender of the last Axis power was 1348 (counting both ends).

So Osama has now outlasted Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito in remaining free after openly declaring war on the United States. I guess that's progress of some sort.

(Date counts computed via timeanddate.com.)

Comments

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

It goes to show there are advantages to being a supervillain instead of a dictator. You get more flexibility and you aren't distracted by running a country.

[supergee.livejournal.com]

It's because FDR attacked Japan instead of North Korea, and now North Korea has the Bomb. Typical liberal treason.

Just an Old War, Not Even a Cold War

[(Anonymous)]

Before there was General Westmoreland, there was General Harkins, who was relieved of command in South Vietnam in 1964. When he left, Harkins made a speech in which he invoked the Indian Wars, which essentially ended in 1892. Unknowingly, he gave an idea of the "wanton and bloody stalemate" still to come. (See David Halberstam's *Best and the Brightest.*)

In 1968, *Time* noted that Vietnam had become America's longest-lasting war. (It marked the start of our involvement from the first casualty of the Kennedy Days.) What had it surpassed? Why, the War for Independence!

My theory these days is while the Administration would like to fight World War II again (we knew we were good, we knew they were bad and most people agreed with us), if we can't, we'll settle for fighting the war in Grenada instead -- quick, tidy, little conflict whose reasons were muddled (we had to save U.S. personnel! No, the Commies were going to take over! We got there just in time!), but which apparently ended on a rousingly successful note (oh, did Marines die in Beirut a while ago?) and which we haven't had to think too much about since 1983.

Most likely, despite the high-sounding World War II parallels for Iraq, what we wanted was another Grenada.

We didn't get it.

We may call it madness, but I'm sure Commander Cuckoo Bananas calls it hidey-ho!

Salaam from the Sparrow, who passes along the fact that more medals were given out for Grenada than were soldiers in the fighting.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

You're not with the program, Womzilla. Dear Leader has informed us that it was Saddam Hussein who attacked us, not Osama bin ... um, whoever he was. If we thought otherwise, we're just misremembering. And Saddam is in prison, everything is over in Iraq, nobody's dying, all is right with the world except that Newsweek are traitors. Thus speaketh the voice from the soggy Bush.

[shelleybear.livejournal.com]

We are living in a "Firesign Theater" sketch.
(FST Commentator): "Here's the official, stolen, government training film of the secret plan to deal with an alien uprising."
(Martial music swells in the background)
(NCO-In-Charge Commentator): "Classified ultra-secret! Air Force generals only! Ten-hut! At ease mens (sic), take your seat!"
(The General): "This is General Curtis Goatheart. If you are viewing this film, then we are under extraterrestrial attack. Beware- your brain may no longer be the boss! If you are beginning to doubt what I am saying, you are probably hallucinating. Listen carefully!"
(One second burst of ringing alarm bell)
(NCOIC): "What to do if an alien appears! ONE!"
(The General): "Drop beneath the seat of your plane and look away."
(NCOIC): "TWO!"
(The General): "Avoid eye contact."
(NCOIC): "THREE!"
(The General): "If there are no eyes, avoid all contact."
(One second burst of ringing alarm bell)
(NCOIC): "How to identify alleged sightings! ONE!"
(The General): "Pie plates, or as reflections in the atmosphere."
(NCOIC): "TWO!"
(The General): "Dry cleaning bags filled with marsh gas, or..."
(NCOIC) "THREE!"
(The General): "Mass insanity!"
(One second burst of ringing alarm bell)
(NCOIC): "How to inform your wife, and others under your command!"
(Bugle blowing reville in the background, faint drumbeat, soft clatter of dinnerware)
(General's Wife): "...Can I freshen that up for you?..."
(The Colonel): "I don't know how she got that requisition..."
(General's Wife): "Oh, she gets it in the back..."
(The Colonel): "Well, she's not allowed to have them unless she's..."
(Another Officer): "Unless she's related to the (undecipherable) of the PX..."
(Sound of a spoon repeatedly striking a water glass)
(The General): "Honey and men- I have something awesome to reveal to you."
(The Colonel): "Well, go ahead, sir."
(General's Wife): "Go ahead."
(The General): "Two flying saucers have just landed on my plate."
(Long moment of silence)
(The Colonel): "Well, turn away sir- I'll eat them."
(Nervous laughter)
(Sound of a spoon repeatedly striking a water glass)
(The General): "Men- our greatest fear is realized- we are under attack from superior consciousness."
(The Colonel): "The eggs, sir?"
(The General): "They're only the beginning."
(More nervous laughter)
(Another Officer): "Can I have some more of those flapjacks?"
(The General): "All right, men- questions? Questions?"
(The Major): "Ah, sir?"
(The General): "Yes, Major?"
(The Major): "Ah, pass the ah, syrup, General?"
(The General): "That's a good idea, Chuck, but syrup won't stop 'em!"
(Another Officer): "But, sir..."
(The Colonel): "Ah, sir?"
(The General): "Colonel?"
(The Colonel): "Are you nuts?"
(The General): "H-Hmmm! That is just exactly what they want you to believe! (chuckle)"
(The Colonel): "The eggs, sir?"
(The General): "Let's just call them 'the phenomena' "
(The Colonel): "Well, if I may respectfully submit, sir, I think you've got your phenomena
scrambled, General."
(More nervous laughter)
(General's Wife): "What about my eggs, dear?"
(The General): "Honey- they're in- everybody's eggs!"
(The Colonel, slightly sarcastically): "Good lord!"
(Faint drumbeat, soft clatter of dinnerware in the background)
(The General's wife begins sobbing hysterically, but softly)
(Another Officer): "I think I'm going to have to leave this table..."
(The Major): "...another cup of coffee, sir- settle you down a bit..."
(NCOIC): "CONCLUSION!"
(The General): "They think he is insane. Yet he outranks them. His option- command!"
(NCOIC): "ONE!"
(The General): "He seals off the area."
(NCOIC): "TWO!"
(The General): "Secures the cooperation of local officials."
(NCOIC): "THREE!"
(The General): "Obtains expert scientific susistence (sic)."
(NCOIC): "FOUR!"
(The General): "Evacuates all government employees, and..."
(NCOIC): "FIVE!"
(The General): "...bombs aliens back to stone age!"
(Martial music swells up in the background)
(NCOIC): "END OF FILM!"

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

Not to mention Mullah Omar (remember him?), who the NY Times seems to have more success in tracking down than the armed forces...