Fraters Libertas

Night and Day

Michael Yon's riveting report today from Iraq about US military engagements around Mosul is the finest piece of battlefield journalism I've read during this entire war. Maybe that's only because I've just stared reading Michael Yon this past week.

Unfortunately, I've been prone to read guys like Nick Coleman instead. This institution of Minnesota mainstream media has been against the Iraq war from the start, gleefully spreading conspiracy theories about the motivations of the President, and doing all he can to erode the people of Minnesota's will to support our country's noble efforts over there. His column today on an alleged groundswell of Democrat candidates for office who are also Iraq war vets and ardent critics of US policy is his latest effort. His cheerleading summary:

They are on the leading edge of a growing political awakening that may help bring the country to grips with the war, with the lies that paved its way, with its failure to make us safer, and with its squandering of resources -- blood and billions -- that might really help win the war against terror.

That perspective has been the relentless position of Coleman and the Star Tribune over the entire course of this war. A perspective that is shared by many MSM outlets, most enjoying monopoly status in their respective markets. Given that, it's not surprising to see the polling numbers Coleman proudly trumpets: 57 percent of Americans believe the war in Iraq has made us less safe and similar proportions believe that the war is going badly (56 percent) and that it was a mistake (54 percent).

Think about those numbers and the kind of people embracing them as evidence of our failure, then read Michael Yon's first hand account of what's happening on the ground in Iraq. Of particular note is this distressing observation of what those fighting this war are beginning to feel about the home front:

I walked back through the dark and did the radio interview by cell phone. During such interviews, I get the impression that people at home are losing faith in the effort, though we are winning. But at home they cannot see it, and when I said goodbye that time, I sat in the dark. The birds began singing and twilight broke to sunrise; another day was born. I watched Strykers coming in, and Strykers going out: the missions rolled on and I wanted to go.

There's not much we can do about the Star Tribune and its MSM commrades' efforts to undermine the American people's will to win this war. That's what they yearn to do. But we can, as individuals, communicate our support for the men doing the fighting, so they can know not everyone is losing faith. One of many worthy charities out there providing such opportunities is Soldier's Angels. If you're inclined to get personally involved, the time is now.