Doonesburied

In Sunday's Doonesbury, Mark tells Donald Rumsfeld, re Iraq, "...there seems to be growing agreement that this war has become ruinous--militarily, fiscally, politically and morally--and that, as in Vietnam, it's no longer a question of if we withdraw in disgrace, but when." The ultimate joke here is that a chastened Rumsfeld doesn't argue. (I admit I'm not fully presenting the famous Doonesbury anticlimax that's supposed to elicit the laugh--please check it out yourself for the full comic feeling.)

For the gag to work, what Mark is saying should feel obviously true. It must be interesting to live in the world of Garry Trudeau, where he's confident any reasonable reader will find Mark's claims self-evident.

I'm saying this even without reference to the fairly successful Iraqi election not long ago, which, if nothing else, should have slowed down some of that "growing agreement" even among Trudeau's friends. I'd go so far as to say that, in general, the war has been pretty clearly successful (certainly not "ruinous") on a number of levels; nevertheless, I wouldn't assume others agree with me, either in making an argument or a joke.

(I realize the strip is written weeks in advance, so maybe the news cycle caught up and passed Doonesbury, but you'd at least think, then, that Trudeau would have some replacement to avoid embarrassment.)

I admit I don't feel good arguing against Doonesbury. I mean, who cares? The strip's best years were in the 70s, and ever since Trudeau came back from a two-year hiatus 1984, it's never been the same. (During that time he created a flop Broadway musical, which I liked.)

Perhaps that's the reason for the desperate comparison to Vietnam. To others, it was a disastrous quagmire, but to Trudeau, it's his glory days.