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Panic in Iraq
Adam Yoshida ^ | 04 May 2004 | Adam Teiichi Yoshida

Posted on 05/04/2004 11:01:51 AM PDT by Lando Lincoln

Frankly, one of the main reasons for the present troubles in Iraq is the fact that the initial offensive into that country was overly quick and insufficiently destructive.

Irregular resistance is almost always contemplated (and often planned for) at the end of a major war. At the end of the Civil War some Confederate hotheads wished to fight on, but were discouraged from doing so by General Lee. Various factions in Germany and Japan pondered continued resistance after the Second World War but, ultimately that resistance failed to materialize in any meaningful way. Too many were already dead and the people, essential to any successful guerrilla conflict, were tired of war. The South, Germany, and Japan had been so utterly destroyed by multi-year wars and were so convincingly defeated that virtually everyone had come to see the futility of further resistance.

The very rapidity of the destruction of the Iraqi Army (combined with the selectivity of US attacks) failed to provide an object lesson in the destructive powers of the United States. The main problem with the United States vis a vis the Moslem world is not that the United States is viewed as an overly strong bully that props up the Zionist entity and it plotting to destroy Islamic heathenism (though it is generally viewed as those things). The problem is that it is viewed as a weak bully. Arabs and Moslems are used to making their own accommodation with bullies or, in the words of Osama Bin Laden, “strong horses.” If the various supporters of the Iraqi resistance knew that any action against the United States would bring certain death for themselves and, in all probability, for their families as well then I suspect that resistance would virtually cease. Given the chance a large percentage of any nation will participate in acts of resistance against an occupying force: but only a very small percentage will engage in suicidal acts of resistance.

In my opinion, the people worrying that the images of “torture” from the Abu Ghraib will hurt the United States by damaging its reputation in the Islamic world are taking entirely the wrong message from the affair. Yes, this will hurt the United States, but it is not the “torture” itself that will do the damage. By the standards of the Islamic world whatever went on at Abu Ghraib is a child’s game. While it is true that the dozen or so classical liberals in the Middle East will watch the Americans respond to this by self-criticism and applaud, but that will be all. Many of our friends in Iraq will look at the outrage over a few mildly abused prisoners, turn to their friend and say, “Tarik, I don’t think the Americans will have the will to stay and defend us. Better not to collaborate and wait for the resistance to take charge.” Elsewhere the resistance (and al-Qaeda) will say, “see, the Americans don’t have the stomach to take the measures necessary,” and then they will redouble their efforts.

What is really needed is a “get tough” program in Iraq, rather than efforts to adhere to the humans rights standards supported by Amnesty International. Occupations require occasionally draconian laws and measures. First: anyone caught attacking or attempting to attack an American solider or to launch terrorist attacks against Iraqis should be summarily executed. Second: the homes of resistance leaders (and, where appropriate, members) should be targeted and destroyed. Third: US forces should storm Najaf, even if it means damaging the supposedly “Holy” sites there, for it is absurd to allow our opponents to use their religion as a shield for their military actions. Fourth: anyone attempting to transit the borders between Iraq and Syria or Iraq and Iran should be targeted for death from the air. Fifth: the execution of Saddam Hussein should be expedited and allowed to occur in public.

Of course, I don’t expect any of that to be undertaken for the very obvious reason that it appears to me that Osama Bin Laden and his ilk are at least partially right about one thing: too many of the American people no longer have the stomach necessary to defend either their country or their principles. If it were up to me, I would cure this problem by having the worst traitors hanged and other subversives shoved into crowded (and hopefully disease-ridden) camps in the Nevada desert. But it isn’t. A generation raised on MTV doesn’t have the will to do what is even minimally necessary and support the death of all of America’s enemies.

In historic terms, this occupation should be extremely easy. It is forgotten now, but Japan was in such a shabby state after the end of the Second World War that many Japanese were eating diets of less than a thousand calories a day as late as 1947. As for the American losses, as tragic as they are, they must be put into perspective. During the four years of the Civil War an average of four hundred Americans died every single day. Given that the population of the North and South at that time was about thirty million, that’s the equivalent (as a percentage of the population) of four thousand dead each day in our time. Four hundred thousand Americans died in the Second World War. The Union lost more men in a few minutes at the Wilderness than we have lost in an entire year of war in Iraq (and, I might add, that by counting non-combat deaths among the toll of the dead- something not done in the Gulf War- the numbers are being deliberately inflated). Are Americans today less of a people than those who signed their honor in blood at places like Antietam, Belleau Wood, Normandy, or the Chosin Reservoir? Some days I begin to wonder.

The morale of the nation is being constantly sapped by treason, which lurks behind every corner, on every television channel, and in nearly every newspaper in the land. The most dangerous lesson of Vietnam is that it had led many average Americans to believe that, in an American war, it is acceptable to support anything other than utter destruction of the enemy by the forces of the United States. People think they have to make a decision as to who they would rather win when, as the true patriot knows, there is no choice and no option. Regardless of what any person may think of the reasons for war, any personal feeling beyond unconditional and total support for the victory of American forces is traitorous, deserving of death, and ultimately a certain ticket to hell. Unconditional loyalty to the American cause is both demanded and required of all decent human beings anywhere in the world. Those who oppose the United States in any way, shape, or form are traitors to God, mankind, civilization, and, indeed, to the universe itself. They are the flotsam and refuse of an increasingly diseased human race whose deviancy is increasingly producing inferior and flawed models of man. The opponents of America do not deserve to be considered human. They are trash, to be disregarded and ignored where possible, but disposed of when necessary.

Alas, I don’t expect anyone to take my counsel anytime soon. President Bush certainly shouldn’t at the present time, given the practicalities on the ground. Too many of the American people are not yet ready to take the measures necessary to assure their God-given place in the world. So, we are left with the great and traditional American strategy of muddling on in Iraq.

Simply muddling on through is a great and typically workable American tradition. Keep the troops there, gradually turn power over to the Iraqis, and, over a few years, things will drastically improve.

Our domestic enemies should not congratulate themselves on the degree to which they’ve managed to hamper American operations and undermine American morale. Because they are restricting freedom of action (and because, by their words they are making America appear weaker than it is) they are making a major terrorist attack more likely. I wouldn’t want to be Michael Moore any day, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be him the day after a nuclear bomb destroyed New York City. After all, if things get worse, who do you seriously expect the American people to turn to? Do you think that, with a million dead in our streets, the people would turn to Dennis Kucinich and long for the establishment of a Department of Peace? Hardly. They will turn to those people who have been advocating stronger measures all along, who have understood the nature of the threat. And whomever they will choose will reign under the wide shadow of Michael Moore’s lifeless body swinging from the nearest lamp post.

Oh, you might respond to that by saying, “but there are million people dedicated to peace in America and they will all resist you.” That may be so. But there are also a million and one lamp posts and telephone polls in America and I imagine that, should the need ever arise, they will be put to a most excellent use.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: abughraib; adamyoshida; prisoners
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Lando

1 posted on 05/04/2004 11:01:51 AM PDT by Lando Lincoln
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To: adamyoshida; lainde; FairOpinion; gatorbait; Tolik; MeekOneGOP; kabar; mgist; BlueLancer; ...
Adam Yoshida ping.

Lando

2 posted on 05/04/2004 11:03:14 AM PDT by Lando Lincoln (GWB in 2004)
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To: Lando Lincoln
(O)
3 posted on 05/04/2004 11:15:46 AM PDT by commonerX
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To: Lando Lincoln
If the various supporters of the Iraqi resistance knew that any action against the United States would bring certain death for themselves and, in all probability, for their families as well then I suspect that resistance would virtually cease.

Yep, but our fear of Islamic public opinion has us all but completely paralyzed.

Osama Bin Laden and his ilk are at least partially right about one thing: too many of the American people no longer have the stomach necessary to defend either their country or their principles.

They had the stomach up until about a month or two after 9/11, but it dissipated fast. One day (most likely after a terrorist attack on our shores killing perhaps hundreds of thousands of Americans) we'll awaken and realize what needs to be done -- the annihilation of all terrorist orgs and terrorist-supporting regimes. (The Bush Doctrine in practice, not just in theory). Not their "rehabilitation." Not their "liberation." Their annihilation.

4 posted on 05/04/2004 11:20:37 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Mr. Mojo
"Not their "rehabilitation." Not their "liberation." Their annihilation."

200 years from now, I want their children's children's children's children
to cower and cringe in fear whenever they hear the sounds of jet engines overhead
because their legends tell of fire from the sky.

I want them to hide in dark caves and holes in the earth,
shivering with terror whenever they hear the roar of diesel engines
because the tales of their ancestors talk about metal monsters
crawling over the earth, spitting death and destruction.

I want their mothers to be able to admonish them with
"If you don't behave, the Pale Destroyers will come for you",
and that will be enough to reduce them to quivering obesience.

I want the annihilation to be so complete that their mythology
will tell them of the day of judgment when the stern gods from across the sea
.. the powerful 'Mericans .. destroyed their forefathers' wickedness.

(Original created by BlueLancer ... 13 September 2001)
(Thanks to HiJinx for the accompanying pictures)

5 posted on 05/04/2004 11:28:39 AM PDT by BlueLancer (Der Elite Møøsënspåånkængrüppen ØberKømmååndø (EMØØK))
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To: Lando Lincoln
bump !

6 posted on 05/04/2004 12:16:02 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is ONLY ONE good Democrat: one that has just been voted OUT of POWER ! Straight ticket GOP!)
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To: MeekOneGOP
bumping your bump.. interesting read.
7 posted on 05/04/2004 2:26:14 PM PDT by Diva Betsy Ross (Every heart beats true for the red,white and blue)
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To: Lando Lincoln
An outstanding article. Bravo Adam!
8 posted on 05/05/2004 12:07:12 AM PDT by lainde (Heads up...We're coming and we've got tongue blades!!)
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To: Lando Lincoln
If we didn't declare war and mobilize this country on a WW2 level after 911, we won't ever do it. We should have but we didn't after the first WTC attack in '93.
9 posted on 05/05/2004 12:22:07 AM PDT by TomasUSMC
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