Christmas Fish
13 hours ago
Saturday, June 14, 2014
War Story
The United States goes into a country far away. They destabilize the government and installs one more to their liking. For years they fight a war against local insurgents. Eventually the American people are worn down by war. Locals are trained to take over and receive material support from the US. The troops come home. A revitalized enemy comes down from the north and threatens the capital city.
Yep, Vietnam was mistake. Good thing the United States learned from that experience and never repeated it. Oh, where you thinking this just might also apply to Iraq right now?
It's not quite done yet, of course. After all, the capital has yet to fall. Just hope we don't evacuate our embassy with helicopters from the roof. How about artificial boundaries left over from colonial times getting redrawn? History doesn't necessary repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.
I was just young enough to miss the draft and Vietnam war. I was old enough to see what was going on and how it all played out. That's why I was against going into Iraq, even though it was popular at the time. People wanted revenge for 911. (Never mind that Iraq had nothing to do with it.) People thought it would be like the first Gulf War. I had my doubts. The goals were different.
The United States is very good a breaking things and messing things up. Nation building? No so much.
Iraq provides some lessons -which will most likely be ignored in a few decades.
-Sixbears
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Our own nation must be fixed and made strong again before we even think about any other country. Won't happen though - we never, ever learn.
ReplyDeleteYou learned. I learned. There's two. It's a start.
DeleteMy thinking is that the government operates on it's own agenda and will do whatever it deems necessary. They did away with caring about the will of the people a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI do miss the days when we had a functioning republic.
DeleteWe have the technology to flatten a place without a man setting one foot on the ground, there is no need for ground troops most of the time. But, of course, the powers that be make more money if a war is waged in multiple ways.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible to destroy a country from the air. To actually take control requires ground troops.
DeleteHistory provides the world with many lessons.
ReplyDeleteBut none are ever learned...
Lessons will be repeated until the class gets it.
DeleteYup....
ReplyDeleteAgent Orange invented in Vietnam. Comes bach as Roundup. Drone in Afghanistan come back to spy on us.
ReplyDeleteman is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.
ReplyDeletethere is no cure.
deb h.
I was one of those fools who thought that chasing Al Qaida from star to star (denying them a resting / regrouping spot) was a good idea. I supported finding and hunting them, NOT NATION BUILDING which is what our government nearly always ends up doing.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit it - I was wrong.