The Guardian informs us of the unsurprising news that Hollywood types are refusing to go to Iraq to entertain the troops:
Wayne Newton, the Las Vegas crooner who succeeded Bob Hope as head of USO's talent recruiting effort, told USA Today. "Now with 9/11 being as far removed as it is, the war being up one day and down the next, it becomes increasingly difficult to get people to go."
Newton said many celebrities have been wary of going because they think it might be seen that they are endorsing the war. "And I say it's not. I tell them these men and women are over there because our country sent them, and we have the absolute necessity to try to bring them as much happiness as we can."
Fear is also a factor. "They're scared," country singer Craig Morton, who is in Iraq on the USO's Hope and Freedom Tour 2005, told USA Today. "It's understandable. It's not a safe and fun place and a lot of people don't want to take the chance."
Let us suggest another factor: Many of these "beautiful people" are narcissistic, self-centered, pampered children who don't care about the troops and don't have any desire to inconvenience themselves for their sake. Yet we treat these people like gods even as the soldiers who are risking, and sacrificing, life and limb for the safety of those same celebrities, are all but anonymous except to their families and friends.
These people are rewarded with lavish lifestyles for doing nothing more than entertaining us. They live in multi-million dollar homes and can have anything money can buy, yet they can't give a few days out of their life to perform for the men and women who risk their own lives for next to nothing in order to ensure that the glitterati can go on living as they do.
We wonder if the celebs would think any differently were the next terrorist attack on our soil directed at Hollywood or if the president leading this war were Bill Clinton.