Keeping the Troops in the Dark

Since this war began the number of soldiers in Iraq who think Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11 has stunned us all. We continue to be surprised by the number of troops over there who still think we're winning, convinced we're doing good, and that if America pulls out they will follow us home.

The military sent to Iraq some of the most educated soldiers in a generation. More have high school degrees than those who served in Vietnam.

But that doesn't mean they know anything. It's become obvious that the job of the Bush military is to keep our soldiers on a "need to know" state of alert.

Which is why on Friday the Pentagon announced that soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan would no longer be able to use military computers to access You Tube, My Space and eleven other popular websites.

Do soldiers deserve the truth? Or does that weaken them as soldiers? Does a well-informed military create a stronger army? Or just deserters? I think a well-informed army creates a civilian leadership that is forced to send them into harm's way based on facts.

Bill Maher is the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher which airs every Friday at 11PM