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What our grandparents knew
NY Post ^ | September 11, 2010 | Arnold Ahlert

Posted on 09/11/2010 3:07:56 AM PDT by Scanian

Dec. 7 and Sept. 11 are iconic American anniver saries. Both days represent our greatest failures to understand the true nature of evil. And while each day will be treated with a similar veneration reserved for national tragedies, there is one aspect that truly divides them: resolution.

The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Four years later, they surrendered unconditionally. If one posits that the war against radical Islam began in 2001 (at least for us), we are in the midst of a nine-year-old conflict that shows no signs of resolution.

How is this possible? In terms of manpower and machinery, Japan was a far more formidable foe than the various umbrella groups that make up Islamic jihadism. Why are we having more trouble defeating them?

Because we've "sanitized" warfare. The same nation that detonated two atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki no longer believes in victory, if such victory requires too much "collateral damage," a k a civilian casualties.

Sounds enlightened, does it not? Who could possibly prefer relentless onslaught and destruction over "winning hearts and minds" and "nation-building?"

Yet consider how out of phase such thinking is. How do you win hearts and minds or nation-build before the enemy is defeated? How do you convince Afghans during the day to risk their lives siding with us, when the Taliban kills them at night -- because they still can?

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911; military; pearlharbor; sanitizingwar

1 posted on 09/11/2010 3:08:00 AM PDT by Scanian
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To: Scanian

this country hasn’t had the will to win since Korea


2 posted on 09/11/2010 3:10:07 AM PDT by SF_Redux
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To: Scanian
The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on. = Ulysses S. Grant =

That's how it was done.

3 posted on 09/11/2010 3:12:11 AM PDT by Quiller (When you're fighting to survive, there is no "try" -- there is only do, or do not.)
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To: Scanian

I was thinking about this as I could not sleep this morning. Our grandparents still loved this country. We cannnot say that about at least half of us now. And it shows. Our grandparents would have deported that raghead in NY by now and rebuilt the towers larger than ever.


4 posted on 09/11/2010 4:03:57 AM PDT by doodad
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To: Scanian

Because of Abortion and kicking GOD out of our country, we are in END TIMES unless we turn back to him, NOTHING can save us.


5 posted on 09/11/2010 4:21:02 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion......the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Scanian

I don’t think Japan was more formidable, because at least you could put a target in your bombsights (and the public would support the incarceration of “suspect” people on a massive scale). Islam is much more difficult because a large number of Americans won’t even identify it as the enemy, and even then there are 1 BILLION of them scattered across most of the globe. They will also go to lengths that the typical “Westerner” would find morally objectionable; unless you fight as Colonel Kurtz, the enemy will always outdo your viciousness.


6 posted on 09/11/2010 4:33:10 AM PDT by kearnyirish2
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To: SF_Redux

The politicians haven’t allowed war to Be war since Korea


7 posted on 09/11/2010 4:42:23 AM PDT by freds6girlies (many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Mt. 19:30. R.I.P. G & J)
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To: Scanian
Dec. 7 and Sept. 11 are iconic American anniver saries. Both days represent our greatest failures to understand the true nature of evil.

No, those days represent great failures to understand the true nature of evil.

Nov 4, 2008 is our greatest failure to understand the true nature of evil.

8 posted on 09/11/2010 5:02:46 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Scanian

NYPost has a schedule for 9/11 memorial. My first reaction: too many moments of silence. It’s like that’s the only acceptable thing. No rebuilding. No anger. No identifying the enemy. Any speech at all might be hate speech.
Now, I understand that a memorial isn’t and shouldn’t be a rally, but it’s symptomatic of the other 364 days of every year.
We’re overcivilized and going the way of flabby civilizations.


9 posted on 09/11/2010 5:06:52 AM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast
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To: SF_Redux

THE BOSSES

NEVER HAD ANY INTENTION OF THE US OF A WINNING PER SE.

THEY HAVE WORKED TO HAVE GLOBALISM/SOCIALISM/COMMUNISM WIN FOR MORE THAN 110 YEARS:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2475963/posts?page=60#60


10 posted on 09/11/2010 5:16:53 AM PDT by Quix (PAPAL AGENT DESIGNATED: Resident Filth of non-Roman Catholics; RC AGENT DESIGNATED: "INSANE")
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To: Quiller

“War is an art and as such is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formula” George Patton


11 posted on 09/11/2010 5:49:03 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (The fool has said in his heart, " there is no GOD " ..)
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To: Quiller

“Infantry must move forward to close with the enemy. It must shoot in order to move…. To halt under fire is folly. To halt under fire and not fire back is suicide. Officers must set the example” George Patton.


12 posted on 09/11/2010 5:50:26 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (The fool has said in his heart, " there is no GOD " ..)
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To: kearnyirish2

The difference between Dec 7 th 1941 and Sep 11 2001, was ? at least our leaders back then knew what to do about it, and didn’t care what the rest of the world thought about it, and had the courage to do what needs to be done.


13 posted on 09/11/2010 5:55:28 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (The fool has said in his heart, " there is no GOD " ..)
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To: Scanian
The New York Post article is spot on.

Unfortunately, the politicalization of war in American Politics dates back to the Civil War. President Lincoln had to select many of his early generals based on political considerations. When the body count got to expensive, politically, he changed.

War is supposed to be ugly and that truth is why we should avoid it. But when forced into it we should win as fast as possible. An early victory keeps our children alive.

The national media made a decision on September 11, 2001 not to display the ugliness of the attacks; and, they have continued that policy up to today. How else can you explain the photos of people jumping from the World Trade Center that never made it to the evening news?

In 1941 the media was American. In 2001 the media isn't.

Until that changes we will continue to lose wars because the media will never allow the American public to support a war winning strategy.

14 posted on 09/11/2010 6:01:27 AM PDT by Nip ("Much less than expected" the new synonym for Obamanomics)
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To: Nip

The nature of the wars are completely different. WW2 had nationally identified armies crossing borders to conquer territory. Probably the most recent example was Iraq’s invation of Kuwait, which was met with a fierce response.

Most terrorists and sponsoring governments operate under plausible deniability. Stealthy infiltration of societies apparently worked reasonably well during the communist infiltration in the U.S. The current conflict with Islamism is quite similar to an ongoing Cold War with occassional hot spots.


15 posted on 09/11/2010 6:15:25 AM PDT by rusty millet
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To: rusty millet

.....sponsoring governments operate under plausible deniability......

That is the way the opposition should be conducted, with plausible deniability. Van bombs should take out the Iranian military leaders as they come or go to work, or perhaps the Mullahs as they pray. If a few civilians get killed because they were in the way, so be it.

Until there is lots of death,there will be no end to the conflict


16 posted on 09/11/2010 6:30:25 AM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Greetings Jacques. The revolution is coming)
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To: Scanian

We don’t conclude anything anymore. Here are a few examples from the hit parade:

1. Korea, ongoing
2. Vietnam, withdraw
3. “War on Poverty”... never will finish in spite of trillions spent
4. Invasion of illegals... “we are going to build a fence, we are going to fix it, yada, yada, yada
5. Pro-life, Pro-abortion... still getting the right sucked into that debate instead of hitting things that could be fixed
6. National debt, national deficit... been around for DECADES
7. We have known that medicare, medicade and social security are unsustainable for YEARS and yet do NOTHING
8. We have an insane federal budget system that rewards waste by imposing a spend it or lose it policy and yet we complain about the cost of government but nothing is done
9. Our answer to transportation is to build more roads and then wring our hands about fuel use and loss of land.
10. The majority of our front line fighters are ancient and it takes longer to procure new ones than the old ones have been around
11. We have the 14th amendment which most know is being applied wrong and yet we persist in allowing this to go on.
12. We have agencies like the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation that have been around spending money since 1974... seems they would be finished after 36 years... http://www.allgov.com/DepartmentAgencies/Independent_Agencies This is just one example of a useless agency sucking up money
13. We have talked about term limits for decades and still don’t have them
14. We have a department of Energy founded in the Carter administration to end our dependence on foreign oil... 35 years later we are more dependent than ever... not only are they not doing what they were commissioned to do, they are regressing.
15. It is taking 42 months to re-build a little bridge across a creek of the Potomac and the Pentagon, just to the south, was built in 18 months!

WHY?


17 posted on 09/11/2010 9:07:20 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (Half of the population is below average)
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To: Scanian

Finally, someone writes the truth. Well, part of it. Thanks for posting this.


18 posted on 09/11/2010 11:26:56 AM PDT by Frangibled (Paranoia - Surest sign of sanity between 2008 and 2012)
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