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Posted on 09/15/2001 5:42:45 AM PDT by GotDangGenius

It is quite simple- when fanatic leaders use "God is on our side" and claim a "Holy War" is at hand, the most ridiculous assertions of their own military power are common, and much to their eventual demise, their own undoing. To a man, each time in history this is attempted, it has been met with utter slaughter of those who believe and fight under such a false assumption.

"Holy War" is indeed, from time to time, used to "fill-in" the military insufficiencies that fanatics know they have, in the hopes that this will "keep the faith" and motivation of their seriously underarmed followers while leaders attempt to acquire military means.

Fanatic rhetoric is infamous through out history for delusions of military capabilitiy. At times, even fanatic leaders begin to believe their own baloney.

Who knows what the Islamic fanatics are actually thinking at this point, but "Holy War" types commonly assume delusions of military supremecy.

Even internally cunning leaders like Sadam, after the war was called off by the U.S., and our generals sat down with their generals to sign the terms of the cease fire, Sadam's Generals began requesting certain troops and equipment be returned to them. General Schwartzkoff, matter-of-factly reported in so many words, "they do not exist any longer."

The Iraqi military did not even have a clue how badly they had been defeated. They were, in the words of Gen. Schwartzkoff, "stunned."

When you rely on "Holy War" for your military strength, history has shown time and time again, that if you proactively entice or engage a stronger military power, your losses are catastrophic.

General Yamamoto was congratulated by his associates after the Japanese suprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Yamamoto was no idiot. His response was: "I think all that I have done is awoken a sleeping giant."

Fanaticism for their Emperor- another form of a "Holy War"- caused a people to make believe it's powers were greater than they were- that somehow they had a supernatural power.

Fanaticism in reliance upon "Holy" military power has never prevailed in the end- never. The only historical instance, at least recorded, (against a greater military power) is that of the Israelites successes in the Old Testament.

Do not mistake the United States revolution with a fanatic endeavor. Yes, the founders succeeded, but it was because of attrition military power capabilities, and the founders had no clue this was the case, or at least did not record this as their military backbone- the Colonies simply had the unknown power of attrition sustenance over their enemy- and that also means "will"- Something the King and all of his kookiness simply did not have.

On an aside, there is a correlation in history between powers that become sustainable and strong over the long term and indeed their lack of fanaticism as their cultural pillar. Fanaticism, by it's very nature, forces excessive strategic and political mistakes.

This is the fate of Islamic fanatics- sooner or later they run into the brick wall of reality, and today, this is exactly what has occurred- they picked on the wrong guy under the false assumption that they are supernaturally empowered by a "Holy War" and their God will crush us.

Let's put it this way- one might claim one could jump from the Empire state building and live. Sure it's possible-almost every proposition has a probablility of ocurrence, but the pavement is awful hard.

There are only so many times even the followers of fanatics are able to withstand watching the obvious flaw of fanaticism. When most of the believers are "used up", or simply come to their senses, things like assasination attempts on Hitler, rancor in the Japanese elite (when it was obvious the Emperor was not a God- if the elite actually ever believed that nonesense), and even in the case of the Soviet Union's final demise, the "western mentality" type of fanaticism evoked by Communism- all fanaticism eventually fails because it can not deliver its pie-in-the-sky promises.

When you promise the sky, and it becomes apparent you can not deliver it to your people, you had better have the real resources to win a provocation BASED on your delusions. Fanaticism relies initially on resources it does not have, and when it strikes out under the false assumption that it does not need resources anyway, its demise is certain.

The fanatic Islamic movement is subject to such a fate. Even Sadam "Mother of all Battles" was so full of himself as to be stupid enough to make this mistake for his own personal lunacy or reliance on a "Holy War"- it's not certain which really.

Which ever form or nuance fanaticism takes, it is never able to be sustained long term.

There is one fear though, which history has shown is worth serious "girding of the loins" - a methodical fanaticism that ALSO is grounded in reality. Japan came as close to that as it seems anyone has in WWII, but again, sooner or later, even methodical fanticism forces unrealistic excess of self-perceptions of power. The unavoidable reality is that more balanced societies, such as the United States- by it's very design, forced by our system and Constitution to have checks and balances and never able to cause quick and major changes in our beliefs or structure, must in the end, face down fanaticism from time to time.

We've done it before, other more balanced and stable cultures have done it, and we'll do it again. The hard part is the casualties. Defeating fanaticism is infamous for excesses in bloodshed.

In a nutshell- that is OUR brick wall of reality. The present giant- the United States and now even other Democracies have been awoken by fanatics again. History shows that these things end with the fanatics defeat, but during the fight it also has brought the giant to reflect inward and wonder if we also are not simply jumping off the Empire State building as well, or indeed might actually lose.

That is the benefit of a balanced culture- it holds itself together under those circumstances because it's expectations have not been rhetorically excessive.

Note something important- we say "May God Bless America."- there is a qualifier in there. The fanatic believes "God" (whatever form or nuance they spin it as) "will win this for us," and they categorically rely on that.

Again, if you truly believe such a thing, you have already departed military realism, and excessive delusions of power predominate.

"May we win", and may our enemies continue to believe they have power beyond their means- that is their VERY weakness.

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