This past Saturday the Harrisburg, PA Patriot News had an Editorial Cartoon which showed American troops standing by their Humvee with the caption "Know Yourself, Know Your Enemy, But above All, Know the Terrain." In the background are large rocks with the names "Leave Mongols," "Turks Get Out," Death to the British Empire," "USSR Go Home," and "US Out of Afghanistan."
Sometimes I wonder how smart we are. Does anybody read history? Does anybody understand that the application of military might into regions of the world that haven't been conquered in centuries will not come to a succesasful conclusion?
There's an old axiom in politics which says that your enemies will work twice as hard to defeat you as your friends will to support you. As American power is projected throughout the world, the question always comes back to that statement. Who are our friends? Who will help us fight these wars? The answer, sadly, is that very few of our so-called allies want anything to do with these wars. And our enemies, the indigenous peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Taliban, will fight to the death to keep us from changing their culture and their way of life.
Sadly, it's been that way since the Vietnam War. America lost more than 58,000 of its young, many drafted into a war they wanted nothing to do with. And thus far the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have cost more than 4,000 deaths. To what end? If Vietnam taught us anything it's that the limits of American power are quickly realized when we go up against an enemy that has passion, belief in its cause and is fighting on its home soil.
It doesn't take a "rocket scientist" to know that any war fought in Afghanistan is domed to fail. Study the history of this land-locked nation. Of recent date, the British and the Russians couldn't subdue these grizzled-faced cave-dwellers. What are we doing in this part of the world? We have no friends and when the sun goes down, the populace fears for their lives. From my vantage point, we should bring all of our troops home. We can't afford to fight wars that bleed us white financially and in human terms. Furthermore, bring our troops home from throughout the world. We're not an "imperial power." We're a Revolutionary people, born to fight to be free and achieve our dreams. And our dreams are rapidly vanishing under a crushing debt that includes wars fought by both parties without raising taxes to pay for them. Shame on both Democrats and Republicans for their lack of leadership. It's time to pay the piper and we'll not like it one bit. Too bad!
Sometimes I wonder how smart we are. Does anybody read history? Does anybody understand that the application of military might into regions of the world that haven't been conquered in centuries will not come to a succesasful conclusion?
There's an old axiom in politics which says that your enemies will work twice as hard to defeat you as your friends will to support you. As American power is projected throughout the world, the question always comes back to that statement. Who are our friends? Who will help us fight these wars? The answer, sadly, is that very few of our so-called allies want anything to do with these wars. And our enemies, the indigenous peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Taliban, will fight to the death to keep us from changing their culture and their way of life.
Sadly, it's been that way since the Vietnam War. America lost more than 58,000 of its young, many drafted into a war they wanted nothing to do with. And thus far the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have cost more than 4,000 deaths. To what end? If Vietnam taught us anything it's that the limits of American power are quickly realized when we go up against an enemy that has passion, belief in its cause and is fighting on its home soil.
It doesn't take a "rocket scientist" to know that any war fought in Afghanistan is domed to fail. Study the history of this land-locked nation. Of recent date, the British and the Russians couldn't subdue these grizzled-faced cave-dwellers. What are we doing in this part of the world? We have no friends and when the sun goes down, the populace fears for their lives. From my vantage point, we should bring all of our troops home. We can't afford to fight wars that bleed us white financially and in human terms. Furthermore, bring our troops home from throughout the world. We're not an "imperial power." We're a Revolutionary people, born to fight to be free and achieve our dreams. And our dreams are rapidly vanishing under a crushing debt that includes wars fought by both parties without raising taxes to pay for them. Shame on both Democrats and Republicans for their lack of leadership. It's time to pay the piper and we'll not like it one bit. Too bad!
You have brought up many ancient arguments against American military involvement abroad. Many family, friends and fellow citizens of this great free nation have seen our Soldiers leave never to return. That is sacrifice and to my belief, never for nothing. But you set your argument against the weakest of backgrounds and presented your reasons not to fight as the very reasons to fight.
ReplyDelete"and when the sun goes down, the populace fears for their lives." We should forget them? Of course when the disagreeing populace is dead their fears will be gone.
"We're a revolutionary people, born to fight to be free and achieve our dreams." Born where Bill? We need to keep that only for ourselves. You know real Americans! Now there is a fight for you.
You advocate a return to isolationism.
The indigenous people of Iraq are still to a large measure "Americanized" and would gladly return to that lifestyle. (and maybe a few others?)
When do we build our "Great Wall"? How long would it be until we can't set one foot beyond our borders without fearing it will be chewed off by the hungry desperate ones outside?
What reason will we give God when He ask us,Why did I make you people a great nation and you let people like Saddam kill five thousand of mine at a time? We couldn't afford it sir?
And how long would we be a great nation when the Taliban and Al Qaida own the rest?
Maybe we could just let the next couple generations deal with that!
Ecc 1: 11 There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after.
So, all that will be, has been.
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Well said from your perspective. Again, my point is that we can't save the world and are going bankrupt trying to do so. When I watched a group of our local brethern headed for Iraq to fix infrastructure, my head spun. What? We have a failing and crumbling infrastructure in this country that needs our attention now. Keep our troops home!!!
ReplyDeleteInfrastructures fine. Why I know of a nearby beautiful highway that goes to a tax dollar airport that handles one scheduled flight a day! and it goes to D.C.)It appears to be something else thats failing and crumbling.
ReplyDelete