Must-see movie: Stop Loss

Stop Loss, a movie about the U.S. military's involuntary retention of soldiers for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been getting lots of play in the media, and it's at the top of my list of movies to see.

The policy of Stop Loss is the War in Iraq's worst-kept, dirty little secret. And it basically gives the military to power to keep soldiers on active duty as long as it likes, even after their commitments are up. There has been no radical middle- or upper-class revolt regarding the war, because by and large, America's sons and daughters who are fighting this ear do not come from those socio-economic classes.

The Bush administration has been able to keep a lid on discontent about the Iraq War by acquiring and maintaining the manpower it needs through stop loss, and also by having a massive private army at its disposal, which, by the way, is larger than the troops we have deployed in the field. And this large private army, led by a private corporation named Blackwater, does not answer to the military. Every single American should find this deeply troubling.

The next time McSame is in Philadelphia for a campaign appearance, I'd like to go to it and ask this question: "Senator, you've publicly stated that we could have to remain in Iraq for years, if not decades. Exactly where do you plan on getting the manpower to maintain this presence? A larger private army, or do you plan to stop loss the army for the next 10 years?" I'd love to see him hem and haw with that answer for what would undoubtedly be the some of the most uncomfortable 30 seconds of his campaign. (My follow-up question would be this: "Since you want to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, just how do you plan on paying for our long-term occupation of Iraq?")

The bottom line is that our military isn't going to be able to sustain the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan much longer without much needed changes, including the possibility of a draft.

One thing's for sure - as the song in the movie says, something really does have to give.

Stop Loss is in theaters now.