'Nam Part Deux?

Eric Alterman runs the list:

VIETNAM 2 PREFLIGHT CHECK

1. Cabal of oldsters who won’t listen to outside advice? Check.
2. No understanding of ethnicities of the many locals? Check.
3. Imposing country boundaries drawn in Europe, not by the locals? Check.
4. Unshakeable faith in our superior technology? Check.
5. France secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
6. Russia secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
7. China secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
8. SecDef pushing a conflict the JCS never wanted? Check.
9. Fear we’ll look bad if we back down now? Check.
10. Corrupt Texan in the WH? Check.
11. Land war in Asia? Check.
12. Right unhappy with outcome of previous war? Check.
13. Enemy easily moves in/out of neighboring countries? Check.
14. Soldiers about to be dosed with *our own* chemicals? Check.
15. Friendly fire problem ignored instead of solved? Check.
16. Anti-Americanism up sharply in Europe? Check.
17.B-52 bombers? Check.
18. Helicopters that clog up on the local dust? Check.
19. In-fighting among the branches of the military? Check.
20. Locals that cheer us by day, hate us by night? Check.
21. Local experts ignored? Check.
22. Local politicians ignored? Check.
23. Locals used to conflicts lasting longer than the USA has been a country? Check.
24. Against advice, Prez won’t raise taxes to pay for war? Check.
25. Blue water navy ships operating in brown water? Check.
26. Use of nukes hinted at if things don’t go our way? Check.
27. Unpopular war? Check.

Vietnam 2, you are cleared to taxi.

The only thing we're missing is a draft. But for how long? Chimpy says no, but Selective Service says maybe.

But it won’t be enough to just draft a bunch of grunts. The Post-Intelligencer also reported that “Selective Service planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts began last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas.” And the New York Times reported that in 2004 that the Selective Service updated its contingency plans for a draft of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers and paid an outside consultant to figure out how to implement such a draft and how to sell it to the public.

Hrmmmm.. I work as a "computer expert" - but I have one ace in the hole... I already broke the Don't Ask - Don't Tell rules.. Who knew there were so many up-sides to this whole gay thing?

Advice for anybody else who does not wish to risk death for some OTHER country's "liberation" - you don't actually have to be gay, just claim you are and they can't draft you.

It's all terribly amusing..