I agree that any unnecessary loss of life is terrible. We could easily cut our casualties in Iraq by calling in massive air strikes on civilian population centers like Fallusa (sp) like we did in WWII. However, we've made the decision to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, so we end up with more American casualties. That is a conscious decision, and I have to agree that it's the right one, both morally and politically.

My parents' generation lost nearly 500,000 men (and some women) killed in less than 4 years. They sent some 16 million men (and several hundred thousand women) into the military at a time when the US population was less than half of what it is today. I've read that in Canada, one man out of every 7 was in the military. It seems the ratio was about the same here in the US. It was a level of committment and sacriface that's hard to comprehend.

That generation grew up during the Great Depression and knew a thing or two about hardship. They knew that defeat or stalemate wasn't an option - the only acceptable outcome was victory. They won it at a very high cost and thank goodness they did.

How has so many of our generation became so gutless?