Iâm trying to put together a list of the most ridiculous historical analogies Bush partisans are putting forward to explain the difficulties weâre now facing in Iraq. This is sort of related, I guess, to the hunt for the Holy Grail of an innocent explanation of the Plame debacle we noted a few days ago.
The contest is just beginning. But John Fund is definitely in the hunt. Just a few minutes ago on CNN, Fund was on Paula Zahnâs show debating Peter Beinart on the senseless âpress is keeping all the good news from Iraq hidden’ story line.
When asked about the on-going toll of dead and wounded American soldiers, Fund interjected: âBut remember after World War II we had Japanese soldiers fighting on islands for years.â
(Next time I see Fund Iâm going to have to have word with him because Iâm holding him responsible for the Diet Coke that exploded out of my mouth and got all over my shirt when I heard his boneheaded analogy.)
If youâre a World War II buff, youâll remember that for years after Japanâs surrender in 1945 there was a smattering of Japanese soldiers on this or that Pacific island who had never gotten the news that the war was over. The stories are touching. And I think I remember that the very last of them were found in the early 1970s. But for America, their prime historical legacy was to provide fodder for a few episodes of Gilliganâs Island. So somehow I think theyâre a rather strained analogy to the guerilla insurgency and suicide attacks weâre now wrestling with in central Iraq.
Maybe someone else will come up with something more ridiculous. But for the moment, John, youâre the man to beat!
