If you read the MSM, you know that American soldiers engage in torture, when they are not flying reporters into the midst of ineffective operations that are more photo-ops than anything else. The constant drumbeat of articles like these has inevitably led to the depressed support for the Iraq War. In all wars one finds tremendous courage, and inexcusable cowardice. One sees brilliant efficiency, and hopeless ineptitude. One sees compassion, and cruelty. The reason we need censorship and propaganda in a long war is to insulate the people from the cowardice, ineptitude and cruelty that are inevitably a part of the combat narrative, so that they continue to support the troops in the field and the domestic sacrifices necessary to achieve victory. Read any history of World War II and you will see numerous examples of American ineptitude (the term SNAFU was invented by American GIs of that war, after all). There were also occasional episodes of cowardice (Kasserine Pass) and numerous episodes of cruelty (fire-bombing of Japanese cities, and the like). Almost all of these things were kept from the American people by the military censors. It was necessary for the public to maintain its belief that WE were the good guys and the Nazis and the Japs were the bad guys. While, granted, that was more easily done in the wake of Pearl Harbor and the German declaration of war a few days later, it was still necessary to maintain high morale on the home front. Of course, this was not done in Vietnam, and its not being done for the Iraq War. The drop in support for the war over time is the result. This limits the President's options, and makes defeat more likely.

George Will has a bleak view of how things are going in Iraq. Fareed Zakaria still sees signs of success.