Doonesbury is kind of hard to see today

[catmandu57]

In the fog we see women and children, with the gunner blasting everything in sight. It's bringing a mist on me, here it is.
http://doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/

[mdmc]

1. this strip has recently been the voice of our troops both at home

and at war.

BD is pretty fucked up right now. He has been seeing his counselor at the VFW. I think that this has been GBT most powerful work to date. 30 years of creation, and GBT has hit his peak! This has always been a pretty strong strip, now it is almost beyond words.

Thanks for posting.

[annabanana]

2. the apogee of the previous strips in this series...

This is what is haunting BD.

[hedgehog]

3. Whatever happens tomorrow, there will be a controversy.

Isn't it amazing that a comic strip can be more effective in bringing this war home to people than a thousand news articles?

[catmandu57]

4. I know there is more to come

but this is really touching me today.

[joeybee12]

5. Does anyone know if BD went to Iraq willingly? Was he called up

and had to go? He was in Vietnam and the Gulf War, and now this.

[catmandu57]

7. Yes BD

was activated and went willingly, his character has always been a rah rah support america whatever right or wrong. Trudeau has really nailed it now.

[joeybee12]

11. Thanks...I couldn't recall if he had his doubts about going this

time...hard way to learn a lesson.

[zbdent]

17. There's an early strip which remains with me to this day

"But this guy worries me . . ."

B.D. standing out among the new recruits . . . he's jumping up and down on the bayonet dummy screaming "DIE! DIE! DIE!" or something like that . . .

[Shipwack]

10. I'm not sure, but I think he was more or less resigned...

Not really gung-ho, not complaining, just doing his job, trying his best to teach the "kids" how to stay alive.

I'd have to go through the archives on the site to remember for sure.

[joeybee12]

12. Thnaks...yeah, I couldn't recall either

Wasn't sure if this was the war that finally gave him pause. Well, if it didn't then, it sure does now.

[bryant69]

14. I think this is more his attitude as I remember.

And in the first gulf war too actually.

Bryant
check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[TahitiNut]

16. Yep. I think you read it right.

It's my experience/opinion that many guys adopt the "Hoo-rah" attitude as a kind of emotional armor - and often that armor isn't nearly enough. That's why it's always important (IRL) to pay attention to each individual, and not preemptively try to fit them into some "one size fits all" cartoon. It's always tempting. in our hectic lives, to paint with broad brushes. It's 'efficient.' It's also dehumanizing. Garry Trudeau seems in tune with this, treating B.D. as but a single example - one that resonates with many combat veterans who cannot (on don't get a forum to) articulate this aspect of their experience in an "Alamo world."

[jimshoes]

6. I'm guessing that in the next strip

his (Bradly?) runs over those people pictured in todays strip and that's what been bothering him. (Just a guess on my part)

[mdmc]

8. I think that they floored it, hit some people, and then hit an ied

then, after the huvee was destroyed, the crowd cheered. I think that the gunner may have died. <-just my guess

[Richard D]

13. Seems likely . . .

. . . either that or they open fire on them. I think the next few days are going to be excruciating.

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. Possibly faster link

The one given for doonesbury.com won't come up for me this morning, but my usual link is working nice and quick:

http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html

[warrens]

15. Bwahahaha, read the crawl under the strip

MoDo saying the bushies are all going through menopause, Rummy getting hot flashes and Jebby crying at the drop of a hat. Alterman calling Coulter a "well-paid circus clown." And much more. I gotta check in every day to read that stuff.