Tom Hayden on the taboo against discussing withdrawal: “George Packer writes more eloquently about Iraq than anyone in the establishment, usually for the very influential audience who read the NY Times magazine, the New Yorker, etcetera. His special talent is writing persuasively and gracefully about how impossible it is to withdraw from Iraq. His function is to freeze liberals where they are, which his crowd thinks is better than supporting withdrawal.

In fact, withdrawal is virtually taboo, delegitimizing, for anyone seeking a mainstream forum. In fact, the spectrum of ‘serious’ debate nearly eliminates the option of withdrawal altogether. Like Packer, we apparently are to accept the tragic burden of justifying a war which is unjustifiable, but which will somehow become more tragic if we stop the justifications.” (HuffPo)