WHY WE ARE LOSING THE WAR

boblonsberry.com ^ | 07/28/10 | Bob Lonsberry

[shortstop]

The United States hasn’t truly fought since the ninth of August in 1945.

As the radioactive dust settled over Nagasaki, and peace with Japan was secured, we gave up war.

We have not fought one since.

Rather, we have engaged in a half century of half measures, in which we have deployed our military repeatedly but never actually used it once.

That is not meant to disrespect the courage and accomplishment of two generations of American servicemen, but rather to acknowledge the failed leadership which has directed them. Since the police action in Korea, we have been led by successive waves of presidents, secretaries and generals who have assured us that there is a “new” way to wage war, and that new realities demand new strategies.

Seldom has a more false or dangerous philosophy been forced upon a nation and its people.

Because there is nothing new about war.

In fact, war is one of the oldest and must unchanging aspects of human history. It is what it is and what it has always been, and any nation that ignores that fact will suffer and fail.

As America has failed on the field of battle since they signed the papers on the deck of the Missouri.

We died for the status quo in Korea, we lost a decade in Vietnam to see it fall to the communists, we went to Iraq to leave a dictator in power and to return a dozen years later to fight a stalemate with tribal savages, and now our nation’s longest conflict is in an Afghan hellhole where we have lost our sons and the battlefield initiative.

We have tactical ability, but strategic stupidity.

We send Americans to fight in a decidedly un-American way, with one arm tied behind their back, hamstrung by pacifist notions and without a strategic objective.

We build nations and win hearts and minds and, truth be told, we have never done either or come anywhere near close. We have been milked of our money and robbed of our blood and hated all the more for it.

We are the world’s lone remaining superpower and yet we were held off by any number of Iraqi neighborhood militias and every Afghan with a beard and a rifle.

Because we are not at war.

Because American leaders lack the stones to go to war. They have the arrogance to start one, but not the grit to fight one.

So we only went so far in Korea, and we surrendered everything we won in Vietnam, and we stopped at Baghdad’s front door, and we sent our troops to cultural-awareness class, and now we restrain them with rules of engagement that have killed hundreds of our troops.

Let me repeat that: There are hundreds of Americans who have perished in Afghanistan and Iraq who are dead because ridiculous, spineless, treasonous rules of engagement left them unprotected.

Even today, in Afghanistan, considerations for protecting civilian lives and currying the favor of locals are given higher priority than considerations for protecting American troops.

If American troops come under attack from a building or village, they may only return fire if they are reasonably certain there are no civilians in that building or village. If they fire, and civilians get hurt, they get in trouble – they may even face prison.

What has this done? Taught our enemy to hide among civilians, and made our troops reluctant to fight back.

In war, if a building or a village fired on American troops, it would be destroyed by artillery fire or air support.

Could civilians get killed?

You bet.

Would Americans be protected?

You bet.

Would it be worthwhile?

Absolutely.

And in short order the civilians would turn against the bad guys, knowing that their presence brought danger. Instead of hiding and supporting the enemy, as Afghans do now, they would turn against them.

Why?

Because they would fear us more than they fear them.

That is war. When Sherman marched to the sea, when the allies bombed Dresden, when we lit up Hiroshima, there were civilian casualties.

And that was the point.

Wars are never between militaries, they are always between societies. And the society that tolerates or supports our enemy is our enemy.

Wars are not won through good deeds, they are won through death and destruction. Peace lies on the far side of victory, and there is no peace until one side claims victory. And our side cannot claim victory because our side will not fight.

Instead, we pretend that by turning our troops into babysitters and welfare agents that we can “win the hearts and minds” of “the people.”

That has been America’s wartime strategy and tactic since Korea, and it has failed in every instance.

Because it is not war.

It is weakness.

And the weak side does not win war, the strong side does.

War is a hellacious, terrible thing. Great efforts should be made to avoid it.

And it should only be commenced if it is going to be concluded. It is a fish-or-cut-bait enterprise, and the nation that will not fight will not win.

Worse, it will merely shed the blood of both itself and its opponent. It produces destruction but not resolution, all of the evil, but none of the good.

And that is how America has fought for the last half century.

It is a shame, a sad demonstration of the foolish belief that history can be ignored. And as the president and his Pentagon are now escalating the Vietnam of this generation, we can only expect the outcome of the Vietnam of the last generation.

We will fight and bleed and lose.

Because we will not truly fight.

It’s like the T-shirt says: Go big or go home.

Unfortunately, it is likely we will do neither, and likely our nation will suffer as a consequence.

The United States hasn’t truly fought since the ninth of August in 1945.

[shortstop]

Something is pretty wrong when the world's greatest super power can't easily defeat a bunch of 9th century goat herders. If you are not playing to win, don't play! As Rush says, "war is all about killing the enemy and breaking things."

[NMEwithin]

Rather, we have engaged in a half century of half measures, in which we have deployed our military repeatedly but never actually used it once.

As a combat vet myself, I whole heartedly agree with this...

[LottieDah]

Al Quaeda and the Taliban come out at night like vermin to set road side bombs. They know they can not fight face to face with an American, British or other solider. We are also fighting liberals who don’t want us to kill the enemy and break things.

[EyeGuy]

“If you are not playing to win, don’t play!”

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We haven’t fought that way since WW II.

If our enemies were smart, they would realize that and take heed.

Our still VERY potent iron fist, is swathed in many layers of political correctness, moral relativism and misplaced disdain for good old fashioned judgmentalism.

[SkyPilot]

He said what every Admiral or General knows is true, but won’t say it.

[US Navy Vet]

The United States has not been right militarily since the election of a combat-screw up, John F Kennedy.

[qwertypie]

Nuke Iran and Pakistan off the map and threaten the “holy” sites of Islam. After the initial shock wore off, the world would grouse but secretly be grateful.

[raygunfan]

Preaching to the choir, babe...

[Psalm 144]

We have tactical ability, but strategic stupidity.

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As a French officer observed of the British army in the 1700’s “They are an army of lions, led by asses.”

[swain_forkbeard]

Strange, isn’t it, that the USA seemed to lose its ability to win a war, just when it developed the ultimate means to do so. That’s always bothered me because, on the face of it, it doesn’t make sense.

[Psalm 144]

Something is pretty wrong when the world’s greatest super power can’t easily defeat a bunch of 9th century goat herders.

***************

Genghis Khan was able to do it - outnumbered, and equipped with ponies, bows and arrows - but with superior resolve and doctrine.

[Little Ray]

Depends.

There are only a couple of tribes that support the Taliban. Wiping them out would eliminate most of the Taliban’s supporters and make a good example for the rest of the tribes. But, if done right, this would probably involve wiping out those entire tribes, man, woman, and child. You want to ask our troops to do that?

Neither do I.

Normally, I’d suggest that we get the Afghanis to do it, but I doubt they could. Afghani troops have proven both inept and corrupt. And, as someone else mentioned, the Taliban is usually ahead of them in the “OODA” loop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop). By the time our Afghani allies get to the “Decision” part of the loop, the Taliban has usually acted, for instance sending a suicide bomber to eliminate their leaders.

[ex-snook]

Our history shows it is pretty clear. Without a Congressional declaration of war, the nation is not united. WW II united the nation, other conflicts since have caused divisions. Divisions prevent 100% all out pursuit of victory. Presidential Constitutional work bypasses for police actions, supporting UN resolutions, or 9/11 speeches does not do the job. You want 100% wars, then get 100% support. A draft would be unheard off today.

[Psalm 144]

Strange, isn’t it, that the USA seemed to lose its ability to win a war, just when it developed the ultimate means to do so. That’s always bothered me because, on the face of it, it doesn’t make sense.

*******************

Kremlin 1 - D.C. 0

[Psalm 144]

Very good points.

[BobP]

...We pretend that by turning our troops into babysitters and welfare agents that we can 'win the hearts and minds' of 'the people.'

That has been America’s wartime strategy and tactic since Korea, and it has failed in every instance.

All policy crap from some liberals rear-end.

Take the fight to them, night and day. Do it with the Buff and the Spirit, the Lancer and the Eagle, the Hornet and the Tomahawk. Take it to the heart of their kingdoms. We have no friends there and never will. Make them yell uncle and then give 'em some more, for a few additional weeks. They respect real power and they haven't seen it really used anywhere in the two wars we are fighting. This is all about a golden goose for how many hundreds of contracters (and the big cut in it for the politicians - not to get off topic, but you can include healthcare in that mix too.)

Give 'em a good beatdown. I think most Americans would say that is what's needed.

Just my 2 cents.

WAKE UP AMERICA

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[Psalm 144]

But, if done right, this would probably involve wiping out those entire tribes, man, woman, and child. You want to ask our troops to do that?

**************

In the end, it is them or us with regard to jihad. This is a mere opening skirmish in the end game of Islam versus Everyone Else.

Yes.

[Hardraade]

Oh, American leaders still have the stones to go to war. The war just has to be against American citizens and the constitution.

[Fiji Hill]

Everyone seems to forget that we once defeated an insurgency led by Islamic extremists—the Moro War of 1902-1917, which was fought on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Of course, in those days, we didn’t have Washington-based liberals laying down “rules of engagement.”

[pepperdog]

This is a sadly brilliant piece.