Anticlimactic

The passing of al-Zarqawi would have been a time of great rejoicing and prodigious sacrificing to the gods several years ago. The event has been anticlimactic this week. Several things help explain why.

We have learned two things about al-Zarqawi during the past year. One, he wasn't much liked by Osama bin Laden. Two, he wasn't much liked by Sunni militant groups in Iraq.

Earlier this year President Bush informed us that he would not be removing troops from Iraq during his Presidency. This week he warned of increased violence resulting from the death of al-Zarqawi.

Two things are certain about American politics. Once a President's poll numbers drop to a certain level, it is damned near impossible to bring them back up. Also, once the media loses faith in a President, they won't return to the fold unless something dramatically good happens to change their opinion.

A dull apathy pervades the whole body politic. Everyone feels powerless to do anything about the dire circumstances in Iraq. All they can say is that they don't like it. Oh for the good old days when killing a villain was cause for celebration.

Meanwhile, travel agents are not recommending Iraq as a summer vacation travel spot to their clients. The recruiting offices are not busy. Nobody has their wallet out to pay for the war. The new Iraqi government remains under heavy guard 24/7 with no end in sight.