Recipe for Losing a "War"

my opinion | 10/27/01 | me

[Cobra64]

Korea 1950s, this was a "conflict" while we lost 50,000 Americans killed. No Delaration of War.

Viet Nam 1960s-1970s, referred to as the Viet Nam war, another +50,000 Americans killed. No Declaration of War. Military logistics micro-managed from the White House and Capitol Hill

Fast forward... September/October, 2001. "We are at War, according to President Bush. No Declaration of War

Recent articles and editorials by retired senior military officials believe that again, just as in Viet Nam, Washington DC is micromanaging military logistics in Afghanistan.

Someone once said, "those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it."

[Cobra64]

These are just observations from a guy who was drafted into the Army in the Viet Nam era but was never called up.

I'm not looking to get flamed, just curious if there are any other FREEpers who wish share clarification and/or agree/disagree with my observations.

Regards...

[clintonh8r]

It isn't going as well as it should be. We should be way ahead of where we apparently are today. Again the politicians have kept the military from being effective.

[Sabertooth]

America has NEVER won a War it didn't declare

[laconic]

Look at what the most successful generals in history did: Alexander the Great, when confronted with continuing opposition in what is now Afghanistan, killed everyone in villages opposing him (I don't agree with this, but as someone said this morning on Fox, "a Carthaginian Peace" produced no further wars from Carthage). WT Sherman said "total War is and has to be hell, it cannot be refined". Sheridan broke the Confederacy only when he destroyed the Valley so thoroughly a sparrow couldn't find a grain of wheat in its entire 200 mile length. Unfortunately, it appears we've got to be just as savage as the savages ruling Afghanistan and make no mistake about it, the Taliban ARE savage beasts that must meet the fate of savage beasts.

[RadicalRik]

All the while, the American media show less and less of the WTC and the Pentagon and more and more dead or injured Afghan babies and women.
The psycological war is being one by our own media against us:
1. The funerals and interviews with the friends of the slain soldiers.
2. Interviews with all sorts of family, friends and countrymen of Osama bin Laden making him "a misunderstood average guy."
3. Wearing down our resolve with 24/7 anthrax stories.
4. Interviewing "experts" who are informing us about the coming smallpox and even more deadly bio-weapons.

I'm sure there are more that I just have not thought of yet...

[etcetera]

After every "war" the we didn't "win", we decry the concessions made to political ends that subverted the military campaign. Then when the next "war" comes along, we do the same thing again. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

[Chapita]

We have sure lost the "Big Mo"! I don't give a damned if the Northern Alliance gets the prize; nobody is going to get it if we don't kick the Taliban out!

Let the Paks do the best they can. They will probably be consumed by the Indians anyhow.

If the commandante falls, we will have to neutralize their nuclear capabilities anyhow. Can't let that go to the Taliban!

[Chapita]

We have sure lost the "Big Mo"! I don't give a damned if the Northern Alliance gets the prize; nobody is going to get it if we don't kick the Taliban out!

Let the Paks do the best they can. They will probably be consumed by the Indians anyhow.

If the commandante falls, we will have to neutralize their nuclear capabilities anyhow. Can't let that go to the Taliban!

[Chapita]

That was an echo!

[Travis McGee]

For once I agree with McCain: it's time to B-52 Arclight a path for the NA to Kabul.

How will it look any different after? Afghanistan already looks like the craters of the moon.

[Terrorista Nada]

And we better start bombing mosques with tanks and soldiers hiding and sleeping in them. We already know they are hiding in Red Cross buildings because rice doesn't burn for 2 hours with black rolling smoke.

Either declare war, or this war is already lost. CNN and MSNBC (and even Fox) are winning this war for the Taliban.

[CathyRyan]

Vietnam! Part Deux

[walden]

I'm not so sure the politicians are at fault-- I think we may have a bunch of wimpy, wishy-washy generals, who are simply not the caliber that we need. Have you seen any of them that looks or sounds like Patton?

[mercy]

Right now, President Bush is doing a fine job of living up to his Father's legacy. The GOP Benedict Arnold of the Reagan Revolution.

I guess we have a kinder gentler war.

Before I joined the Bush camp in the early primaries I wrote to Bush and explained my problems with his father's policies. I offered money time and advertising space on my ranch if he would explain to me how his presidency would be diferent. I got a nice photo card of the family for a response.

Since I didn't see another viable candidate in the republican fiels I got behind Bush anyway but with substantial reservation. Right now I'm thinking that my chickens have come home to roost. BUT at least he ain't Gore. I would probably be living in Israel already if Gore had gotten in.

I believe Bush has the smarts and courage to recognise that he has been lead down the garden path by the State Dept. and take control of this war. Perhaps he can dredge up enough fire power out of the clintoon regime's generals to win a war in the stone age land of Afghanistan. We shall see.

[Frohickey]

America has NEVER won a War it didn't declare

How about the War on Poverty? How about the War on Drugs? ;)

[AndrewSshi]

The psycological war is being one by our own media against us:

1. The funerals and interviews with the friends of the slain soldiers.

2. Interviews with all sorts of family, friends and countrymen of Osama bin Laden making him "a misunderstood average guy."

3. Wearing down our resolve with 24/7 anthrax stories.

4. Interviewing "experts" who are informing us about the coming smallpox and even more deadly bio-weapons.

Well, I don't know about you, but for most of the American people, #'s 1, 3, and 4 don't amount to a "psychological war against us." The average American who reads reports of dead troops and bio-weapon attacks at home doesn't think, "Well, people are dying, we need to get out." The average American thinks, "They're killing our people, I wanna kill as many of those $%^$#s as possible!"

We need reports of bio-terror attacks at home, and we need to know when our soldiers die, so we know why we are fighting for revenge. Every Anthrax attack reminds us of why we are bombing Afghanistan up to the stone age.

[Cobra64]

Terrific Logo! Any chance you could get a few thousand printed up as bumper stickers?

Normally, I don't believe in bumper stickers, but as a FREEper, living in the challenges facing us today, I'll be the first to put on my car's bumper. Maybe other FRs might feel the same way.

We could also mail them to all members of the House and Senate with the idea of challenging to get off their duffs and DO something instead of the typical Washington bull sh!t.

It would be terrific to see a few poster size ones in the Senate, Congress, the Pentagon, and in the White House.

If you will provide a proof and a quotation from a printer, I'll contribute $100 to the cause. Any others want to get on board?

[TightSqueeze]

5. Passing laws (H.R.3162 ) that curtail the freedom of Americans while doing nothing to end terrorism.

Bush’s Anti-Terrorism Bill = Democrat Dejour In 2004.

[GuillermoX]

You forgot that in this "war" we added a heavy dose of Political Correctness. Win at all costs, except when the costs include offending the Enemy, Muslims and Foreigners.

[Cobra64]

You got me here, sir. If memory serves correctly, Lyndon Johnson was the President who mouthed the words, "War on Poverty" and the "War on Drugs" in his Great Society doctrine. Again, Congree never declared war on these either. Actually I'm not sure how that can be done under the Constitution. However, in the case on War on Drugs, convicted drug lords should have been executed (public hangings), considering the number of Americans who die each year due to drug abuse. I know this sounds pretty radical, but in war time, the enemy is supposed to die.