War W/O Citizen Sacrifice

I was perusing the Witnesses to War: Voices from the Rutgers Oral History Archives exhibit at Alexander Library and I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission from the current war effort. The government has not asked anything of the common citizen. Some would characterize this as Bush's "We're at war, but pretend like we're not"strategy for minimizing long-term disillusionment, but I believe it is a misunderstanding of the American public. Even simple steps, like selling war bonds (a common practice in WWII), have been ignored. Perhaps selling bonds would remind the public of the monetary costs (just shy of $230 Billion so far), but at least it would provide a sense of involvement. Shame on the President for not once asking for public assistance prior to his Oval Office address last Sunday (12/18/05).

For more on the Rutgers Oral History Archive, please visit their website.
Rutgers Oral History Archive