‘America Is Not at War’

As Americans shift back to our habit of spending more than we make, a Marine in Ramadi, Iraq, offers a poignant reminder of just who’s making the sacrifices in the nation’s seven-year-old war on terror.

“America is not at war,” reads a handwritten note at a U.S. facility in Ramadi. “The Marine Corps is at war; America is at the mall.”

It’s a message worth noting as half the country is gearing up to celebrate Memorial Day drinking beer on the beach.

Update: An alert reader just noted that this episode is at least nine months old. Four weeks before Memorial Day, though, the message remains relevant.