Mark Steyn: We are at war with the losers

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 11/17/2001 | Mark Steyn

[Pokey78]

THIS war is in trouble. We're bogged down, getting nowhere and staring at a Vietnam-style quagmire. The Taliban's grip on the country remains total. These famously tough warriors of iron resolve are unlikely to be. . .

Whoops, sorry, that was last week. Just let me punch up this week's Conventional Media Wisdom. Ah, here we go. Things are moving too fast. There's a dangerous power vacuum. The Taliban, being famously tough, etc, have pulled off a brilliant double-bluff by abandoning every major city and lever of government. Their grip on selected southern and western caves remains total. The Northern Alliance are too vicious, unfairly targeting enemy soldiers instead of just killing unarmed women and homosexuals. The collapse of the burqa market will devastate the Afghan fashion industry.

The removal of 90 per cent of Afghan beards could leave vital supply routes choked with facial hair. The re-introduction of music has raised serious fears that many Western aid workers will become disc-jockeys on KBUL ("No Beards, No Burqas, No Bee Gees"). The Pushtuns will be pushed out, the Tajiks will be tragic, the Uzbeks want their Uzis back, and in Punditstan and Rootkhazia many Western commentators are cut off from reality, facing a bleak winter unless they can find a new title for Afghanistan: The War We Can't Win before Random House stops the cheque.

Here's Maureen Dowd in The New York Times on November 7, moaning that the Northern Alliance "smoke and complain more than they fight" and look "sillier and sillier". "Let's cut the chitchat," she urges. Here's Maureen on November 14, aghast that the Northern Alliance are bloodthirsty thugs: "Some Alliance soldiers looted dead bodies for valuables," she squeals. "We give the Northern Alliance an air force and they embarrass us with savage force." Alliance field commanders, having acted so impressively on Ms Dowd's earlier advice, must wonder if she's going for the Pulitzer for columnar whiplash.

Funnily enough, in all their droning about it being impossible to colonise Afghanistan, the Leftie know-it-alls failed to notice it was already a colony: the Taliban was propped up by bin Laden's money, Islamabad politicians and military recruits from Pakistan and the Arab world, plus a few British and American Muslims. The dead in the streets are mostly foreign Taliban soldiers killed by Kabul civilians. If they were foreign British soldiers, most Western Lefties would be delighting in a popular uprising against a colonial oppressor.

And then there's the grandees such as Arthur Schlesinger Jr who, being an Ivy League history prof, knows that Afghanistan is in the same general east-of-Martha's-Vineyard direction as Vietnam. "Our leaders gambled on the supposition that the unpopularity of the regime would mean the bombing would bring about the Taliban's rapid collapse," he wrote in The Independent this month. "Vietnam should have reminded our generals that bombing has only a limited impact on decentralised, undeveloped, rural societies."

The history guy has missed the point. From the Second World War on, most local squabbles - from Vietnam to Grenada - were proxy wars for the great game between Communism and the Free World. The difference between Vietnam and Afghanistan is that, as the Taliban were heading for the hills, the President of the Russian Federation was kibbitzing with Dubya in some Russo-Texan Borscht Belt routine. In this war, all the major powers are on the same side - America, Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, even China.

The only countries that aren't with us are the basket-cases - Iraq, the Sudan, Cuba, North Korea - a handful of irrelevant loser states that contribute nothing, economically, culturally, technologically. We are at war with the world's losers. And losers tend to lose. If bin Laden really spoke for the entire Muslim world, we'd be in trouble. But, as we now know, Osama bin Loser doesn't even speak for the Muslims living 10 miles from his cave. Some jihad.

True, Mullah Omar has told the BBC that relocating to a cave is all part of the master plan for "the destruction of America", which "will happen within a short period of time". Dream on. That background noise is approaching Delta Force commandos playing Celine Dion's Greatest Hits really loud.

Let's make it easy for Professor Schlesinger and Co, and spell it out. In liberated Kabul, people are very happy. In Pakistan, anti-American protests are poorly attended. In Iran, the Ayatollahs are more worried about pro-American demonstrations. In the recent Bangladesh election, Islamic fundamentalists got less than five per cent. In repressive Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud has instructed its vile press to support America. Two months after the bloody attacks on American cities, the government that supported the men who did it has been overthrown and its troops are corpses in the dust. It's early days, but that alone is cause for all Americans - and Britons - to rejoice. Even journalists.

Last week, President Bush said, "Let's roll." We're rolling.

[veronica]

Mark Steyn is the greatest.

[WriteOn]

What a great editorial.

[ppaul]

Good one!
Thanks.

BUMP

[quimby]

Good post, and great read.

We are at war with the world's losers. And losers tend to lose.

The losers aren't all countries. There are more than a few columnists, pundits, and networks working hard to get/stay on the losers list.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"The difference between Vietnam and Afghanistan is"

This war is backed by the President, Congress and the people.
Johnson AND Nixon both went thru the motions only.
I served under both of them, so I know 1st hand the lack of military support they both REALLY showed.
Both parties in Congress also went thru the motions.
Both parties blamed each other as OUR body count went up.
Both political parties did nothing to rally the public to support our troops.
That is, in my opinion, the REAL difference between then and now.

[VOA]

Rolling Bump!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Last week, President Bush said, "Let's roll." We're rolling.

I like that!

[Travis McGee]

"Two months after the bloody attacks on American cities, the government that supported the men who did it has been overthrown and its troops are corpses in the dust."

I am certain that Assad, Mubarak, Saud, Qaddafi etc have not missed this point.

Saddam may feel he is so strong, with possible WMD ready to launch, that he will not be attacked.

We shall see.

[rockfish59]

the lefty know-it-alls!

that says it all!

[janetgreen]

Is Mark Steyn that cute little balding guy with the killer dry wit that is frequently on Hannity & Colmes? I *love* that guy.

I think that's Mark Levin. I like him too.

[JoeSchem]

Alliance field commanders, having acted so impressively on Ms Dowd's earlier advice, must wonder if she's going for the Pulitzer for columnar whiplash.

Colonic whiplash, maybe.

[stands2reason]

I LOVE THIS GUY!!!!

Pokey, is there room on your ping list for me?

[connectthedots]

Add me to the Steyn list as well.

[maica]

Last week, President Bush said, "Let's roll." We're rolling.

I like that!

I guess he was sending a REAL message to the troops with "Let's Roll!" after asking our media not to promote UBLs appearances on TV, which 'may have been used to send messages'.

What beautiful justice!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the ping - I enjoyed this! One good ping deserves another (cover your ears!):

(((PING))))))

[xsmommy]

serious fears that many Western aid workers will become disc-jockeys on KBUL ("No Beards, No Burqas, No Bee Gees").

this guy absolutely cracks me up!

[MeekOneGOP]

Great Post, Pokey! Thanks!

Bravo for our U.S. Special Forces!:

U.S. Special Forces November 12, 2001 in Afghanistan

U.S. special forces troops ride horseback as they work with members of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom on November 12, 2001. The U.N. envoy in charge of Afghanistan said on Friday the opposition Northern Alliance was delaying urgent efforts to arrange a crucial meeting on the central Asian country's political future. Picture released November 16, 2001. (Dept. of Defense via Reuters )

[grammymoon]

Please add me to your ping list too? Thanks.

[Petronski]

And then there's the grandees such as Arthur Schlesinger Jr who, being an Ivy League history prof, knows that Afghanistan is in the same general east-of-Martha's-Vineyard direction as Vietnam. "Our leaders gambled on the supposition that the unpopularity of the regime would mean the bombing would bring about the Taliban's rapid collapse," he wrote in The Independent this month. "Vietnam should have reminded our generals that bombing has only a limited impact on decentralised, undeveloped, rural societies."

What could be more pleasant to read on a fine Saturday morning than that Schlesinger had been so wrong so publically. Schadenfreude indeed!