The fear of the fight

Eugene Volokh has some provocative quotes from Rebecca West, reminding me again that WWI was to the Brits as Vietnam has been to Americans.

Thus England ... put itself in a position of insecurity unique in history by raising a generation of young men to whom the idea of defending their nation was repugnant not so much by reason of the danger involved (though indeed they were now often instructed in fear as in other times boys had been instructed in courage) as because they could not believe it would in any circumstances be necessary.

The gathering storm today is in Iran, but our country has been so propagandized about the Iraq war being a failure, that we may not respond until something really horrific occurs.

Maybe Bush has been too successful in preventing more attacks here at home. Or maybe we're like the Children of Israel who had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until the generation that refused to go take the promised land died out, before they were able to take on their enemies. I just hope we don't have to have one of our cities nuked before we get serious.