Really, it lost us Vietnam. Your approach was tried over and over again, ie., the Rolling Thunder Campaign etc. It wasn't until the hearts and mind campaign really started up, that the Viet Cong were decisively defeated in the field. Unfortunately by that time the hearts and minds campaign for the US was lost, and look what happened.
By destroying an entire country you would create 100 times more enemies, and lose the few allies we do have. Let face it, we're going to have to follow the Powell doctrine 2 "If you break it you own it." - we broke Iraq and its going to take a long time fix. Its not going to be done the way its currently being done. There's going to have to be a multiple stage major push - the infrastructure will have to be rebuilt, as will the economy. The health care and public health infrastructure will also have to be rebuilt, from the ground up. Then there's the security issues. People are not going to be supporting the current government if by doing so they are shot and blown up. The US has also partially failed here - the conflicts in Malaysia, Algeria and Vietnam have shown that all too well - a MOUT and guerrilla conflict are won by intelligence on the ground - the neighbourhood butcher sees Ali's kid rigging a bomb and so he calls in the information. The local imam rails against the infidels, and loses his congregation. Heart and Minds again. That sort of thing. Its just not being accomplished all that well in this conflict. We are going to be in Iraq for a long time, if we are then we should do a good job of it, not some John Wayne type of half assed shoot em all up approach. larry On 7/18/05, Matthew Small <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I just think it's more a matter of that he stirred up the hornet's nest, > which is silly. Instead of putting our boys in harm's way, he should > threaten to blow up the entire country and do it if the violence persists. > This whole "hearts and minds" campaign is just stupid. It got us into > trouble in Vietnam and it is now. Those people over there don't fear us > because we're not actually threating anyone. > > Us: "Hey, we're going to come in and give you democracy!" > Them: "DIE AND PRAISE ALLAH!" > Us: "Why don't you like me anymore?" > Them: "DIE AND PRAISE ALLAH!!" > Us: <slumped over, dead> > > My situation: > Us: "We're going to blow you to smithereens!" > Them: "DIE AND PRAISE ALLAH!" > Us: <BOOM! smiles as cloud of dust settles over 51st state, ensuring cheap > oil forever> > > > - Matt Small > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:165058 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
