I can’t believe it. Well, I shouldn’t be surprised, but still… when NBC’s Law and Order has a character describe the situation in Iraq as a “quagmire,” you have to wonder where they’re getting their information.

This is simply ridiculous. Yes, it’s sad – no, heartbreaking – that there have been over 1,000 U.S. dead in Iraq. However, this is a far cry from over 58,000 dead between 1964 and 1973 in Vietnam. Nor is it 15,000-20,000 Russian dead between 1979 and 1986 in Afghanistan (depending on who you believe; you can imagine the exact number is hard to come by).

This is what happens when a prestigious media outlet like the New York Times utters a word that brings to mind the horrific experience of Vietnam. Eventually, the meme is repeated often enough that people start to believe it… and it ends up in a highly popular television drama without so much as a dissenting opinion.

What a country.