"Let them Eat Cake"

Jonah Goldberg, Lord High Colonic of the intersection of Manure Street & Insouciance Avenue (hey, Sully's allegedly retiring somebody has to use that word).

He has given us the point blank statement of his excuse for being a young man gung ho for wars other young folks have to fight. Young folks without a trust fund and a mother with connections (or considering who his mother is more likely embarassing photos).

Why won't he hitch up his pants and become an Army of One?

As for why my sorry a** isn't in the kill zone, lots of people think this is a searingly pertinent question. No answer I could give -- I'm 35 years old, my family couldn't afford the lost income, I have a baby daughter, my a** is, er, sorry, are a few -- ever seem to suffice.

Well Jonah, you know there are about 150,000 Americans over in the "kill zone" now and I'd wager more than a third of 'em are married and have a kid. There are literally thousands who are your age and older, who belonged to the national guard, were working their civilian jobs, making their living for their wives (or husbands) and kids and they have been pulled into the war you so nobly cheered on...and for not a few of them...just when they think they were getting out, they've been sent back or kept over there. Meanwhile their boys and girls do not remember what they looked like, their employers have ironically soldiered on without them, and their spouses do the work of two parents.

And of course there are the 1,447 bodies carried home. Many parents of children they will not see grow, wives and husbands they will no longer be able to touch. All they ever had or could be taken away from them. Many starting from a far worse lot in life than you, and now certainly ending up that way.

Yes, you have to make your little living. Running a magazine employing unedited hacks, cheering on wars -- as long as a Republican is starting them. It must be just the fucking bees knees being you -- being so fucking righteous and unable to recognize your own piddling insignificance and foolishness.

Marie Antioinette was once famously accused of saying about the residents of Paris that were hungry, that if they had no bread "let them eat cake". Of course, it was not a true story, but it has survived in infamy anyway.

Today Jonah son of Lucianne, you really did make the morally equivalent statement. You are now defended by the Michael Ledeen's of the world.

BTW, Atrios commenter RCSanders informs us that his son, who is in the military, lost a friend from his unit today in Iraq.

For Jonah's information this man:

Sergeant First Class Sean Cooley, 35, of Ocean Springs, died south of Baghdad Thursday when an improvised explosive device exploded near the vehicle he was in. RC goes on to state in regard to Sergeant Cooley, Jonah Goldberg needs to know that being 35 and having a baby are not disqualifying factors for service in Iraq.

Sergeant Cooley was a man.

Jonah Goldberg is a chancre on the balls of civilization.