tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post2316473415283347477..comments2024-01-24T04:59:45.518-05:00Comments on Jewish Atheist: Counterinsurgency Warfare as Military MalpracticeJewish Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04616617537150446818noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-17382096784196147262007-07-31T22:47:00.000-04:002007-07-31T22:47:00.000-04:00A massacre once in a while remained an effective w...<I>A massacre once in a while remained an effective warning for decades.</I><BR/><BR/>Right, it's essentially like the War Nerd always says: "<A HREF="http://www.exile.ru/2006-December-15/war_nerd.html" REL="nofollow">genocide pays.</A>"<BR/><BR/><I>Fact No2: The Holocaust is a One-Shot Exception; Genocide DOES Pay.<BR/><BR/>The Holocaust is the next-biggest non-lesson of WW II. Everybody loves to talk about this particular case of genocide because it failed, or so we're told. The Germans paid a terrible price for what they did to the Jews. Nope; the Germans paid a terrible price for invading Russia. If they'd stuck to holding their half of Eurasia, Stalin would have continued his love affair with Hitler, the only human being he ever liked, and the European Jews would have been a shared buffet, divvied up between concentration camps flying the swastika or the red star.<BR/><BR/>What made the Holocaust totally unlike most genocides is that we remember the victims; and the only reason we do is, once again, the USA. The European Jews were totally vulnerable and despised over there, but their kin in America were doing fine and cared enough to remember their relatives who died. Compare this to almost any other example of genocide, and there are literally thousands of examples, and you'll see the difference: most of the time (I mean DUH!) the tribe that gets genocided is the most despised, weak and helpless tribe in the region. That means nobody remembers them at all, or if they do they consider the genocide an example of Progress, or just one of those things. If you doubt that, then tell me quick what tribe lived 400 years ago in the city where you're reading this now. I still, after years of trying to find out, don't know what tribe lived around Fresno. Nobody even mentions them on the web--that's how most genocides work. The tribe vanishes forever. That's why they call it genocide, for God's sake! And once it's gone--Duh!--nobody remembers it or cares.<BR/><BR/>The reason people love to talk about Nazis killing Jews is that, thanks to the Jews in America, there were people who insisted on remembering the victims. If people thought about the genocide of, say, the tribe that lived where you lived, they'd get bummed. They'd realize the world is a slaughterhouse and there are no moral lessons. That's why they'd rather talk about Auschwitz than...Fresno.</I><BR/><BR/>He also takes up the matter in "<A HREF="http://www.exile.ru/2005-July-01/war_nerd.html" REL="nofollow">Massacres Paid Your Mortgage, Dude.</A>"<BR/><BR/>The United States isn't about to take up genocide, even in a limited way to strike fear into the hearts of others, so we cannot win this war.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-40893700427563687282007-07-31T09:21:00.000-04:002007-07-31T09:21:00.000-04:00Well... I'm not usually a big reader of the New Yo...Well... I'm not usually a big reader of the New York Times - living several thousands of miles away... but I checked out that Op-Ed piece which is actually called "A War We Just Might Win" which is a bit different from 'can win'.<BR/><BR/>Anyway - It does indeed say many positive things but is hardly a ringing endorsement of Allied military affairs in Iraq. It does indeed say that "We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms" which is rather debatable and would depend how you interpret the data. After the 'surge' it would hardly be surprising that the number of both civilian and military deaths would decrease. All of the 'stupid' insurgents are dead by now so few if any are going to stand up to an enhanced military presence.<BR/><BR/>The piece mentions "the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with". This is hardly a 'war we can win' but a solution that will allow US & other forces to leave without losing too much face. This is about the best that we can hope for. One of the main reasons we're still in Iraq (apart from the oil we should never forget) is that it would be *very* bad PR if we left with the country still in the huge mess that it is in today.<BR/><BR/>I just heard on yesterdays news that something like 20% of the entire population has fled the country in fear of their lives. For the millions left they suffer under just about every difficulty you could imagine. Over a million children are suffering from malnutrition... These are hardly the facts that reflect the word sucess or victory.<BR/><BR/>Military morale may be high (at the moment) but it would only take a few setbacks to have it crashing again. The Iraqi armed forces may indeed be improving but they have yet to be tested without US technical backing.<BR/><BR/>I think this is the killer comment in the piece: "we still face huge hurdles on the political front. Iraqi politicians of all stripes continue to dawdle and maneuver for position against one another when major steps towards reconciliation — or at least accommodation — are needed. This cannot continue indefinitely. Otherwise, once we begin to downsize, important communities may not feel committed to the status quo, and Iraqi security forces may splinter along ethnic and religious lines". <BR/><BR/>I am cynical enough to think that without the Allies holding things together - just - that things can only get worse when people become increasingly frustrated at their governments inability to give them basics such as water and power. I think that it's pretty inevitable that the country will break down on ethnic and religious grounds. When that happens it isn't going to be pretty - even by todays standards.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-13877885792365963512007-07-30T19:12:00.000-04:002007-07-30T19:12:00.000-04:00Any comments on the recent NY Times Op-Ed piece re...Any comments on the recent NY Times Op-Ed piece regarding "A war we can win" ?? Nothing like being an arm chair general.asherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09237854868544073084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-43957785174836053192007-07-30T17:15:00.000-04:002007-07-30T17:15:00.000-04:00Yes....... It's difficult to miss when it's on the...Yes....... It's difficult to miss when it's on the news every day and in all the papers...<BR/><BR/>Would you like to be a bit more.... specific?CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-25977127308625081372007-07-30T16:55:00.000-04:002007-07-30T16:55:00.000-04:00That was to JA. But I guess you too. :)That was to JA. But I guess you too. :)Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-10716011290465928622007-07-29T04:55:00.000-04:002007-07-29T04:55:00.000-04:00ezzie said: Have you actually been following what'...ezzie said: Have you actually been following what's been happening the past few months?! <BR/><BR/>Who... me?CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-42939879767694198712007-07-29T03:57:00.000-04:002007-07-29T03:57:00.000-04:00Have you actually been following what's been happe...Have you actually been following what's been happening the past few months?!Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13054771.post-5477685032308147952007-07-27T09:13:00.000-04:002007-07-27T09:13:00.000-04:00Iraq is an occupied country that doesn't want to b...Iraq is an occupied country that doesn't want to be occupied. Very little that the Americans and their few remaining Allies do can change this. <BR/><BR/>Without winning the 'hearts and minds' of the Iraqi people (if that is even possible at this point) there is no way that we can 'win' this. The only thing that remains to be decided is when we leave and how much it will cost until we do so.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.com