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I'D HATE TO THINK THAT THIS WAS TRUE.

Amazing excerpt from the "Black Coffee Briefing" Iraq: What Lies Ahead at conservative think-tank AEI.

"MR. LEDEEN: The question was what level of casualties will the American public digest...

I think it all depends how the war goes, and I think the level of casualties is secondary. I mean, it may sound like an odd thing to say. But all the great scholars who have studied American character have come to the conclusion that we are a warlike people and that we love war. And one of my favorite comments on American character, which is Patton's speech at the beginning of the movie, where he says, "Americans love war. We love fighting. We've always fought. We enjoy it. We're good at it," and so forth.

What we hate is not casualties but losing. And if the war goes well and if the American public has the conviction that we're being well led and that our people are fighting well and that we're winning, I don't think casualties are going to be the issue."

If the American public gets the idea that we're doing poorly, that we're badly led, that the war plan is inferior, that we're being outmaneuvered, outwitted, and our guys are dying on behalf of a losing cause, then they will turn against it, and that's the usual rule."

You can read the whole thing here. (Thanks to Ron Andrews for the link)