This started as a two-topic post that I've decided to split into two pieces (kind of like the Roman Empire's Western and Eastern divisions) due to the fact that I a) want the first piece out the door and b) haven't finished writing the second piece despite having several days to mull it over.
If I were in more of an irreverent mood, I would have titled this post "Nobody Does It Better", in a conscious nod to Carly Simon's schlocky (and double entendre-sporting) theme song for The Spy Who Loved Me. By the way, she's got a concert DVD out that dates from 1987 or so; it's inexpensive and is supposed to be pretty good. Got to buy that.
Anyways. Den Beste usually has some sort of phrase or section in his writings regarding the war on Islamists that gives me the Evil Calvin Grin. When I get a scanner or something, I'll show you exactly what that is. He's also able to invoke a "huh huh huh" on the order of Butt-head, and I thought I'd point out his latest success:
Nations which are weak or craven increase their chances of being targeted when they appease the Islamists. The Islamists don't seem to be seriously targeting the US any longer because they know that we'll fight back. After 9/11 and after months of sustained operations against Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq, it's now clear that the US won't retreat because of such attacks. Instead, we respond violently to them, causing huge casualties to the attackers, in men lost and organizations obliterated and even nations captured. (Italics mine.)
I was instantly reminded of a quip I found in Harry Turtledove's The Guns of the South, made by a character, Piet Hardie. Hardie held views on racial relations that I found unacceptable, but that doesn't mean the author couldn't give him a good line. He speaks to a Federal army veteran and now slave that he's just purchased: "I can lick you any way you name: bare hands, axes, whips, guns, any way at all. Any time you want to try, you tell me, but you have your grave picked out beforehand."
I suppose that's why I understood President Bush's "Bring it on!" remark. Every time the al-Qaeda types or their cohorts in Iraq get together for a stand-up fight (i.e. force on force, not drive-by assassinations of missionaries, you dirtbags), they lose, and lose badly. We like those fights. Now, occasionally they get lucky and kill some of our people. This is, of course, regrettable. I would prefer that none of our people die in this annoying war. However, a man with a rifle, body armor, training, and comrades of like mind and circumstance is in a better position to defend himself than is a half-awake commuter on his way to the City of New York from the District of Columbia. Thus, I find that sending our troops into battle is preferable. And by the way, Godspeed. I pray every single night for your safety and for your swift & victorious return.
At any rate, we're probably pursuing the proper strategic doctrine. I use 'strategic' in what must be a simplistic understanding of a professional military meaning for the term: "[Strategy] is the area of the practical activity of the higher military and political leadership of the supreme command, and of the higher headquarters, that pertains to the art of preparing a country and the armed forces for war and conducting the war."1
One can quibble about our operational level decisions such as Iraq. Since I'm more often than not the cold-eyed practitioner of realpolitik (helps that I'm not actually in a position of responsibility), I'll note that while we may have yet to see tremendous gain from inside Iraq, we have seen a positive external benefit in that Libya has decided to come clean. That by itself is almost worth the cost of the war. Crush one bully, and others may conform their conduct to the law, if you will.
When it is also considered that many millions of people no longer live under the boot of an odious SOB and will now have a chance at national self-determination, both the bottom line and the heart are satisified in terms of Iraq.
Second half coming on Saturday.
1 Scott, ed. Soviet Military Strategy [1975], p. 11).
Posted by Country Pundit at March 19, 2004 10:57 PMKhorosho!
Posted by: The Commissar at March 20, 2004 09:36 PM