"Blame that unwillingness to commit ground troops on the people. Ever since Vietnam, every single death results in an outcry from the populace. People don't understand the meaning of sacrifice anymore."
1. People still understand "the meaning of sacrifice," and practice it daily--you don't think there's a ton of economic sacrifice going on in this economy, or fathers and mothers sacrificing a lot just for the chance to live here, or get their kids treated by a doctor, or get their kids into college? There's plenty of will for sacrifice left, it's just that we've redefined what's worth sacrificing for, and have decided that we're rather sick and tired of sacrificing young men for endless wars that seem both unclear and unwinnable (again, if the Brits and Ottomans couldn't change the landscape there, why do we thing we can...or that we should have to, for that matter?)
2. Tell me what we would've gained from a longer stay in Vietnam...and a longer stay in Iraq, for that matter--you mentioned the Greatest Generation in your previous comments (you and krellin both did, I believe)...and yes, they sacrificed more...
But in fairness, I'd argue, the cause they were sacrificing for was more WORTHWHILE.
Defeating Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese Empire on the one hand...
A "domino theory" about communism that A. really didn't matter in the end and B. Led to bombings in Cambodia which helped lead to the rise of Pol Pot on the other hand...
And then fighting in Iraq...for...reasons on the other-other hand (to be fair, toppling Saddam was a fine gesture, but we need not have stayed, and if we were so concerned about what would replace Saddam, then perhaps the question needs to be asked--terrible as he was, and he was and evil, evil person...was our toppling him worth both this long war that's followed AND the attempts to fix what we broke AND trying to keep something potentially worse out? You YOURSELF used the "the devil you know" argument last night, Draug...apply that line of reasoning here?)
In any case--
World War II was worth the time and money and lives and sacrifice...
I dare anyone here to say the same about Vietnam or Iraq.
If we were fighting a Hitler-analogue today, we'd have the same level of commitment from our people--remember how moved to passion they were when we first went into Afghanistan to fight/find bin Laden? THEN the morale was high, THEN we thought we had a right and just cause, THEN we thought it was worthwhile...
I dare you to say that, all these years later, it's still as worthwhile.