America embraces war on patriotism

America is in the mood for heroes, and as long as this addiction to patriotic glory lasts, President Bush can sleep easy at night.

For the time being, Americans are more trusting of their leaders, than they have been in any conflict since the Second World War.

Strong stomachs are the order of the day. Despite newspaper criticism, CBS is going ahead with its documentary about the bombing of the World Trade Center, complete with the sound of bodies hitting the ground.

Bumper stickers are showing up: "My Country, Right or Wrong." And the myth of American squeamishness, that war must be conducted from 30,000ft, is being exploded.

Families and friends of the seven Americans killed in Afghanistan this week are accepting their losses with stoicism and absence of bitterness. According to relatives, the men were prepared to meet their deaths, as long as dying was in the line of duty.

"He loved what he was doing," said the father-in-law of Sergeant John Chapman, one of the slain. His sister, Lori, said: "We all knew he might end up in a terribly dangerous situation. As a father, he didn't want to go to Afghanistan. But as a soldier who was trained for more than 10 years to do his job, he wanted to, as he would say, basically, go over there and kick some ass."

Kick some ass is the language of the post-Vietnam, politically incorrect, Get Bin Laden Dead or Alive America that is standing behind its president. In the Sixties, the churches were a potent factor in the anti-war movement. This time, the fighting troops are in God's corner.

Army Sergeant Bradley Crose, 22, one of the seven Americans killed, was one of those. "He was a very strong Christian, and he lived his life in that manner, but Bradley was also a warrior," said his father, Rick Crose.

That fits the philosophy of Mr Bush, who has said he believes he was called by God to command the war on terror, as a holy mission.

His high opinion polls are an irritant to the Democrats. Their leader in the Senate, Tom Daschle, has been taunting Mr Bush with the failure of his "Wanted Dead of Alive" pursuit of Bin Laden, and the widening of the war on terror. Mr Daschle underestimated the new patriotism, which is thicker than your average bumper sticker. His office issued the ludicrous statement that his remarks were not intended as criticism of Mr Bush.

But patriotism, as yet, is not a game in America. It is real, and it is working for the president. That being the case, it is odd Mr Bush is not making more efforts to nurture it and make it bolster his political leverage.