The Lesson of Dunkirk (Thomas Sowell's retreat strategy)

Creators Syndicate ^ | 2/20/14 | Thomas Sowell

[P-Marlowe]

There would not be a United States of America today if George Washington had followed the tactics being urged by people like Senator Ted Cruz and his supporters.

[eddie willers]

Cruz has never attacked Sowell.

He hasn't attacked him....he's telling him to hold his fire.

[KarlInOhio]

Interesting comparison to Churchill at Dunkirk, but I think we are in a different Churchillian situation:

If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.

Right now the GOPe is going for the Geogre McClelland award for avoiding combat at all costs.

[enduserindy]

Mike Pence, maybe Mitch. Let’s try a Hoosier! I’ve had my fill of Texans thanks to GW and that post about the 15 yr old girl that Texans appear to think OK to shoot..

[GeronL]

Thomas Sowell has gone off his rocker.

[GeronL]

There would not be a United States today if George Washington had listened to people like McConnell and Boehner who would urge caution and being nice to the English. We can’t upset the King! We have to be reasonable and moderate. We can’t just go to war because of a little disagreement.

[Bratch]

I'm afraid Dr. Sowell has his wars and generals mixed up.

The current leaders of the Republican Party in no way resemble George Washington. They're much closer in spirit and temperament to this guy.

---

George McClellan

General McClellan

(1826-1885)

George McClellan was the greatest Union general during the Civil War. At least he could have been and should have been.

[...]

McClellan was very cautious always overestimating the size of the enemy. He always believed he was greatly outnumbered and was constantly seeking more and more reinforcements.

He was afraid to attack. He did not want to put his men in harms way and wanted to keep them safe, and they in turn loved him for this, but that is no way to ever win a war.

[...]

McClellan was attacked several times by General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, which was much smaller in size than McClellan’s army during the Seven Days’ Battles. Although never being actually defeated in these battles McClellan nevertheless retreated.

[Liberty Wins]

“We don’t intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all.” — President Ronald Reagan

[fortheDeclaration]

And there would have not been a Battle of Midway without the Doolitle raid.

Sometimes you need to retreat, sometimes you need to attack.

[cpdiii]

Sowell and Cruz are on the same side but are in disagreement with tactics. When Cruz filibustered and caused a temporary shutdown of the government he knew he would lose. In the short term the Republicans lost. However, the roll out of Obamacare has been a disaster for the Democrats and has proven Cruz 100% right. In the long term view Cruz hurt the Democrats and not the Republicans.

I ask this one question, “Is the media talking about the Cruz filibuster or the disaster of the Obama care roll-out?”

The real irony is if the Democrats had done as Cruz wanted and delayed the imposition of Obamacare we would not be talking about Obamacare.

Mr. Sowell and Senator Cruz need to sit down together in private and discuss tactics. I have immense respect for both of them. They need to work together.

[Graewoulf]

” - - - -
1.) * Whatever the Republicans threatened, President Obama could call their bluff.
2.) * They would either have to back down or have a second government shutdown for which they would be blamed.
3.) *Another shutdown could doom their chances of winning the Senate in the 2014 elections, and perhaps even cost them the House of Representatives.- - - “

The above 3 sentences quoted from Sowell’s article demonstrate the following:
* how easy it has been for Obama and Reid to refuse to work with the Republicans;
* Obama and Reid to shut down part of the Federal Government;
* Obama and Reid to blame their shutdown on the Republicans;
* for Obama and Reid to have full confidence that the Left Stream Media would falsely claim that Reid and Obama did not shutdown the Government;
* Sowell is fearful of bluffs, fighting to damage the enemy, and paranoid about what, “could, would or perhaps” happen;
* Sowell approves of being blamed for something that he or the RINOs didn’t do;
* and that Sowell himself still believes that Obama and Reid did not shutdown the Federal Government, Barrycade our War Monuments, or stop funeral payments to the families of The Commander in Chief’s own Military dead.

FREEPERS: Would anyone with a Military background choose to have Thomas Sowell in y’alls Foxhole when an attack comes from the enemy?

Professor Sowell is well suited to be a card-carrying Obsolete RINO Intellectual for the following Sowell Rules of Battle:
* Always retreat when given the rare opportunity to inflict major harmful attrition on an enemy;
* Never defend any Principles that involve the defense of the US Constitution;
* Always put Political Party above Country;
* Never challenge a bluff in a battle;
* Never attempt to refute any lie that the enemy promotes against you;
* Always assume that the only way possible for a victory is to have control of the House, Senate and Presidency;
* Never attack the enemy first, always stay on friendly defense.
* Wait for the exact moment when it is obvious to the Left Stream Media, and even the most timid RINO that winning is a certainty.,vacations and weather permitting.
_____________________

Sowell’s analogy to Dunkirk leaves out - - - “the rest of the story.”

England had a Warrior in Churchhill who could motivate men to follow him into the Gates of Hell.

Churchhill spoke often about fighting in the fields, and never, Ever, EVER, GIVE UP!

Okay Sowell: Who is the Churchill Warrior among the Obsolete RINO troops that believe what you write?

———————————————————— . Thought so!
_____________________

Sowell mentioned that the English citizens risked their lives to rescue the Remnants of the British Army stranded at Dunkirk.

Okay Sowell: We, the internet FREEPERS, risk our lives every we describe on the internet the REALITY of the current Communist takeover of our Republic.

Yes, RISK! We FReepers KNOW that every word we type is recorded by the NSA, distributed to Holder’s FBI, the IRS, the TSA, Pentagon, the ATF, the Data files of the Democrat Party, certain Foreign Governments, and the CIA.

You, Thomas Sowell, need not fear the “knock on the door’ by the various armed forces of Communist Obamanation.

You need not fear because you have chosen to play by the rules imposed on you by the enemy. You and the RINOs are equivalent to the Vinchy French when France fell to Hitler.

Would you, Thomas Sowell have even bothered to get out of bed when Paul Revere rode by shouting “The British are coming!” ?

My guess is that you would have said “The British are the mightiest Military force in the World. This a fight that we can’t win. We are doomed to lose everything.”

The battle we fight to save our Republic from the Jackboot heel of Communism has proven to be of no concern to the RINO Wing of the Republican Party.

The RINOs, including yourself, foolishly assume that there will be a future election held that will reward the cowardly RINOs by voting them back in. We did that in 2012 and now the RINOs are fighting us. Fine! BRING IT!

Why should we vote in cowardly RINOs who will not fight Communism?

The RINOs had 5 YEARS to plan an effect attack, and failed.

Now it is our turn, and we will fight you and elected RINOs FIRST, as y’all have proven to be traitors in the Battle against Communist Obamanation.

Our votes will come from Americans who in one Minute have gotten out of bed, grabbed clothes, ammunition and muskets, and then assembled on The Village Green as America shifts up into second gear Cruz Control for November, 2014.

DONT TREAD ON ME

[fortheDeclaration]

Yes, remember that was the group that Patrick Henry gave his great speech rebuking!

[GeronL]

Cruz did not cause the government shut down.

Sowell needs to understand that McConnell and Bonehead are not on the same side as we are.

[GeronL]

Sowell and Coulter and others when they write about taxes, regulations, Obamacare and many other things make all the sense in the world.

Then when voting starts they support those who won’t lift a finger to fix the problems.

Crazy

[txhurl]

I think Sowell (whom I’ve adored forever, until now) has contracted Colin Powell Syndrome. His brethren plantation might be threatened, and he goes nativist against his own brain.

This has been devastating to behold, for me.

[P-Marlowe]

Sowell and Cruz are on the same side but are in disagreement with tactics.

Three hit pieces in three days. Somehow I don't think Sowell is on Cruz's side.

Mr. Sowell and Senator Cruz need to sit down together in private and discuss tactics.

I think the time to sit down together is past. Sowell should have discussed this with Cruz before going on the attack. Sowell's attacks have been unrelenting. I expect to see more tomorrow.

[Graewoulf]

I respect and accept Thomas Sowell as he is now.

Sometimes it takes a pitched battle to reveal who is, and who is not fighting with you.

He is a worthy adversary that must be cast aside for the good of the Republic.

Sowell equated war and politics, and I for one am more than happy to oblige, separately or together.

Breitbart warned us that this “WAR”, and was he ever correct!

[Graewoulf]

BRING IT !

[GeronL]

bump, sadly

[Tzimisce]

***ALL REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE IS RETREAT***

You can't win a war at all unless you're willing to fight.

And because they've run from winnable battles, now all we have are the insurmountable.

For once Sowell is WRONG

[P-Marlowe]

Thomas Sowell may find himself a victim of his own friendly fire. He has lost a lot of followers in three short days with three incredibly misplaced and boneheaded articles. The comments outside of Free Republic have been at least as brutal as there are here.

His historical analogies are so far off base that they are ludicrous. It is as if he never actually studied the subjects to which he is basing his analogies. To compare the retreat at Dunkirk to the caving on the debt ceiling is so ridiculous it defies comment.

And his ludicrous assertion that a Symbolic Victory is not a real victory ignores the entire history of warfare. And to claim that Washington went into Trenton knowing he would win that battle is the epitome of ignorance. That was Washington's Hail Mary pass. Everything had to work perfectly or it would have spelled disaster, but he needed a SYMBOLIC victory or the war was lost. By a miracle of Providence he was able to pull off a military victory. The entire war for independence was riding on pulling off a strategic victory against the British before the end of the year. Had he failed, the war would have been lost.

I have lost a lot of respect for Mr. Sowell in just 3 days. He owes both his fans and Ted Cruz an apology.

But somehow I think we will see the attack on Ted Cruz part IV very soon.