Bush's comment not the same as Patton's quote

To the editor:

When Paul Greenberg conducts his annual review of his writings, I believe he will find a big problem when justifying "Bring 'em on." via General "Old Blood and Guts" Patton.

Patton's statement that "no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country -- you won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country," when taken in the context of war where you must kill or be killed is morale-building. No matter how hard you look at it or how deeply you dissect it, that statement reflects the sad reality of war.

President Bush's comment of "Bring 'em on." -- even with the surrounding words -- is absolutely demoralizing to troops fighting what they know to be a guerrilla-type war. Worse yet that the troops were told months before that the "war is over." This is the sort of statement I expect to hear when the third keg is tapped at a fraternity party. Had our president, being of just the right age, actually served in Vietnam instead of the Air National Guard, I believe much of his cowboy braggadocio would have disappeared.

MICHAEL W. THIES

Cape Girardeau