How to tell when we're winning...
When the binary focus of the Left shifts from "failure, loss, and American casualties" to "American monsters massacre innocent men, women and children." There is no other viewpoint, apparently. But it is a good way to tell how well we're doing in a war.
Similarly, the only two ways that our military personnel can be seen are as either sadistic killers and torturers, or innocent poverty-stricken dupes of the upper classes and evil neo-cons.