Iraq, Japan, what's the difference?

Bush Likens Democracy Effort in Iraq to That in Postwar Japan
"Once again, war came to our shores with a surprise attack that killed thousands in cold blood," Bush said. "Once again, we face determined enemies who follow a ruthless ideology that despises everything America stands for. Once again, America and our allies are waging a global campaign with forces deployed on virtually every continent. And once again, we will not rest until victory is America's and our freedom is secure."

[entire article]

I don't normally say much about Bush. He's funny when he's drunk and I like his dad. But sometimes he just says the dumbest things. Like comparing the war in Iraq with World War II, in this case the Japanese. He doesn't seem to know anything about the circumstances of Pearl Harbor, the occupation of Japan, or of traditional wars in general. Pearl Harbor was a precision military strike on a military target. The only non-military casualties were from friendly fire. The Japanese thought they had formally declared war, and we knew from whence they came. 9-11 was as nontraditional as one can get, was an act of aggression against civilians and emergency responders, and we still can't seem to figure out where the bastards are hiding, although we figure it's someplace with a lot of sand.

Iraq is a great example of chaos. The occupation of Japan was efficient and controlled, at least on the part of the occupation troops.

Aw well. If politicians said smart things, what would I have to complain about?