compare and contrast

In a 2004 article in Salon.com, Paul Waldman wrote:

As the war with Iraq approached, [George W.] Bush became increasingly excited. According to the Washington Post, friends and lawmakers who met with Bush just before he launched the invasion found him "upbeat," "chatty," "cocky and relaxed" and "in high spirits." The most revealing moment came when he thought the cameras were off: Before he gave his national address announcing that the war had begun, a camera caught Bush pumping his fist, as though instead of initiating a war he had kicked a winning field goal or hit a home run. "Feels good," he said.

Of course, not everybody felt the same way. After all, some people actually had gone to war before, and they knew there was absolutely nothing on Earth to feel good about:

Former Army infantryman Richard Wittig, 83, of Berea, who fought through Italy, France and Germany during World War II, said he felt sad when the U.S. invaded Iraq.

"I felt the country let me down. I knew people were going to suffer," he said. "Frankly, I get so turned off by this thing that I deliberately try to avoid it. It just bothers me so much."

In an article in today's Plain Dealer, Brian Albrecht notes that veterans of past wars are increasingly reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

In my nearly 50 years on this planet, I've met my share of mental midgets, psychopaths, and self-absorbed pricks. But I honestly don't think I've ever met someone who so totally embodies all three of those characteristics as the man who has sent, so far, over 2,600 American men and women to fight and die, to say nothing of the more than 40,000 Iraqi civilians who have also been killed.

Blood on his hands? He's soaking in it.