War IS Tough

I ran across this blurb describing an article in the LA Times today:

Mideast: If the U.S. opts for military action against Hussein, the battle could prove to be America's toughest in decades.

Undoubtedly, journalists who write this EVERY TIME America considers military action will be right one of these days, because military actions halfway across the world are fraught with uncertainty and should never be undertaken lightly. But just a few months ago, the same journalists were putting out the same sorts of warnings about Afghanistan. They put out the same sorts of warnings against Iraq a decade or so ago.

This is not to say they are wrong about Iraq. It may very well get ugly. But the frequency and glee with which journalists like to point out the possibility (making it seem almost as if they are hoping for body bags) doesn't always help their credibility.

[Posted at 13:01 CST on 03/10/02] [Link]