Those are the not-so-wise words of Michael Deaver, former aide to St. Ronnie Reagan. Deaver, speaking from the Republicans' home base on Pluto,
opined to the LA Times:
There aren't student demonstrators all over the country. There aren't National Guardsmen tear-gassing people.... We're a long way from that.
Ah, now I get it! The fact that more Americans now oppose the Iraq war than probably ever opposed Vietnam is irrelevant. The fact that more people now blame George Bush than Saddam Hussein for starting the war is immaterial.
Iraq isn't like Vietnam because there aren't rioting students in the street (which is lucky because all the National Guard are in Iraq and unavailable to quell traitorous liberals).
My actual, fact-free point after the jump.
Another fascinating snippet from this article notes that public opposition has truly grown from the grassroots:
"What's interesting in this decline in support for the war is that it has sprung from the public itself," said pollster Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center. "It wasn't led by politicians or by an antiwar movement. It started back in May, when the focus in Washington was on other issues."
Now I particularly like this quote because it's always been my theory that the antiwar protests of Vietnam made the U.S. public skeptical and questioning about war, especailly a war so incompetently managed as this. I think that's a big reason why public opinion is turning massively and rapidly against the Iraq war.
I've never seen any articles or news stories on how the legacy of the Vietnam antiwar movement may underly opposition to Iraq. Your thoughts, opinions or links to any info on this topic would be welcome.