"We remember, honour and mourn the loss of all those that made the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom..."
The last 24 hours has seen the US military in Iraq achieve another grand milestone. Over 1000 US service personnel have lost their lives since the start of "official" combat operations in March 2003.
Morality tells us that we shouldn't rejoice at news like this. To the Bush administration, these figures stand out as evidence that with great change comes great sacrifice. I couldn't agree with them more. Change is often violent and tragic. Of course it's the nature of the change that causes the disagreement.
To the Bush regime, the change is spun as the great march of freedom and democracy. To me, the change is the slow and systematic metamorphosis of America from great liberator and leader of the free world, into the petulant aggressor.
As the election moves into it's final phases (the tremendous boredom of the debates), I'm left feeling that the result doesn't actually matter in the long term.
The problem is with Americas place in the world. It needs other nations to need it, or else it's place as the sole superpower is irrelevant. With no Communism, there is no need for Americas presence as our great protector.
1000 US troops will seem like a small figure when the final tally is made. So much sacrifice, all to keep America in it's place.
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