You just throw the unlimited resources of the USA into the meat grinder until the other side runs out of stuff and gives up. Remember, the only thing those two guys did to get promoted to general was survive WW1 and fail to get a real job in the private sector after the war. Please, America, Stop pointing at our WW2 generals and pretending that they were "really good at this war shit".
The right way to do any sort of war is to match your goals with your resources. No, it doesn't have to be "all in". Sometimes, just killing the enemy dictator is just the right answer. sometimes you have to keep him alive so there is someone who can sign the surrender documents. There is a full range of options available. The problem we have with ISIS now is we have no foreign policy. We have no goals. We are floundering just to look like we are doing something. That is as far as our state department and executive branch can go.
Good points. I think that the world is a different place today than it was in WWII. Wars are fought differently today. At least the wars we fight are fought differently. I still struggle when I think that our 30 year involvement in Viet Nam didn't end with some sort of positive outcome. Using a "regular" army to fight a mostly irregular force. The decade long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are seemingly ending the same way... we lost interest so we left. As far as ISIS? I agree with you. It's as if we have no idea how to proceed. Why is that? Thanks for your comments.
Vietnam: Without a doubt, a military victory by every measurable standard. Strategically lost because the enemy was fighting a non-military campaign here in the USA and our national leadership was unprepared to fight it. In fact, a free society is unable to fight it since you grant to citizens the moral and legal authority to choose to be communists if they want (and many of them did). And we are still suffering the results of that today.
The fact is, a well trained military can absolutely and with certainty, win an insurgency. It is normally lost with the "then what" stage.
The world's irregular forces have a highly undeserved reputation for excellence. In almost every case, where they face professional troops, they get their asses handed to them. This is true throughout history, on every continent.
We left Iraq and Afghanistan (mostly) because that was always our plan. We have no intention of colonizing them or guaranteeing their security forever. The plan was defeat, stabilize, depart.. It doesn't mean we are "losing". We accomplished our goals. Goals don't stay accomplished forever and no one should expect it to.
It was the SOLDIERs, the JOEs that have won the wars that the generals have planned - regardless if the plans were good or not. The SOLDIERS have won the wars - ALL of them. It's the politicians - in and out of uniform that have thrown those victories away. We tie our Soldiers hands and ask them to fight wars and battles "by the rules". and they still won. War is horrible - but you must be committed to WIN if you must get into it. God bless them and those who went before them.
All in or all out - there is no compromise to winning or losing. One or the other.
ReplyDeleteExactly!
ReplyDeleteYou just throw the unlimited resources of the USA into the meat grinder until the other side runs out of stuff and gives up. Remember, the only thing those two guys did to get promoted to general was survive WW1 and fail to get a real job in the private sector after the war. Please, America, Stop pointing at our WW2 generals and pretending that they were "really good at this war shit".
ReplyDeleteThe right way to do any sort of war is to match your goals with your resources. No, it doesn't have to be "all in". Sometimes, just killing the enemy dictator is just the right answer. sometimes you have to keep him alive so there is someone who can sign the surrender documents. There is a full range of options available. The problem we have with ISIS now is we have no foreign policy. We have no goals. We are floundering just to look like we are doing something. That is as far as our state department and executive branch can go.
Good points. I think that the world is a different place today than it was in WWII. Wars are fought differently today. At least the wars we fight are fought differently. I still struggle when I think that our 30 year involvement in Viet Nam didn't end with some sort of positive outcome. Using a "regular" army to fight a mostly irregular force. The decade long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are seemingly ending the same way... we lost interest so we left. As far as ISIS? I agree with you. It's as if we have no idea how to proceed. Why is that? Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteVietnam: Without a doubt, a military victory by every measurable standard. Strategically lost because the enemy was fighting a non-military campaign here in the USA and our national leadership was unprepared to fight it. In fact, a free society is unable to fight it since you grant to citizens the moral and legal authority to choose to be communists if they want (and many of them did). And we are still suffering the results of that today.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is, a well trained military can absolutely and with certainty, win an insurgency. It is normally lost with the "then what" stage.
The world's irregular forces have a highly undeserved reputation for excellence. In almost every case, where they face professional troops, they get their asses handed to them. This is true throughout history, on every continent.
We left Iraq and Afghanistan (mostly) because that was always our plan. We have no intention of colonizing them or guaranteeing their security forever. The plan was defeat, stabilize, depart.. It doesn't mean we are "losing". We accomplished our goals. Goals don't stay accomplished forever and no one should expect it to.
It was the SOLDIERs, the JOEs that have won the wars that the generals have planned - regardless if the plans were good or not. The SOLDIERS have won the wars - ALL of them. It's the politicians - in and out of uniform that have thrown those victories away. We tie our Soldiers hands and ask them to fight wars and battles "by the rules". and they still won. War is horrible - but you must be committed to WIN if you must get into it. God bless them and those who went before them.
ReplyDelete