I enjoy posting random shit which I like and you most likely won't. Think of me as a cranky old man. This blog is the porch I sit on when I scream at passers by.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
As the war in Iraq grows more distant in our rear-view mirror and our strange venture in Afghanistan also appears to be winding down, the media and some politicians have begun to wistfully review the myriad costs of the war, inevitably referred to as “blood and treasure.” The first part is obvious in origin, but why “treasure?” Are military expenditures somehow more precious and sacred than appropriations for education or healthcare or public works? Is it because we didn’t actually directly pay for either of the Bush wars, but rather sold pieces of our future in the form of massive debt?
I’m curious as to the origin of the phrase. It seems to be a symptom of a stubborn public habit to associate war with nobility and sacrifice. We definitely sacrificed quite a bit, but that did not make the effort “sacred.” I believe the more appropriate adjective would be “tragic.” Here are a few of my suggestions for what we truly lost in our interesting saga in the Middle East:
“blood and reputation”
“blood and dignity”
“blood and ideals”
“blood and a generation”
What do you think?
