If someone said in April that it appeared we were losing the war, I seriously doubt they meant that we'd be soundly defeated in the next week or month. No, I'm seriously afraid our "defeat" in the war is going to last for years. Do I want that to happen? Of course not. Ideally Iraq becomes Disneyland in a few months with bearded mullahs wearing the Mickey costume and handing out cotton candy to the young children of our tourists. (notice how I used the Donald Rumsfeld tactic of asking and answering my own question.)

I think that the people predicting defeat in this war are talking about the long term, something I don't think the current administration's military strategists seem to grasp. Of course our military can kick butt in any single battle and reap widespread destruction on any area that dares stand up to us. Defeat here comes from the effects 5 or 10 years out when we've created a whole new generation of fanatics hell-bent on our distruction. Sure, a peaceful and prosperous society fights against that evolution but you're talking about a country and region here where the average policeman's life expectancy is about a month after he slaps on a badge.

Of course, why do I even bother responding? I'll be labeled as a brain-dead liberal whiner who knows nothing of the complexities of the world. You've proven over and over that you gain nothing from the insight of any other person that might have a different viewpoint than the one that supports your political leanings. You obviously are well-read and articulate. I wish I saw the same competence in your people skills.