No, it’s not baloney. We cannot allow them to gather their strength, plan unfettered, arm themselves, train, infiltrate and take over entire countries and then hit us hard.
But we do have to fight differently.
We did not “nation build,” Japan or Germany while we were fighting them. We fought them with all we had until they and those supporting them were annihilated and all they wanted was to sue for peace unconditionally. It did not take ten years to do that. In a much larger war, where there were infiltrators and sabuteurs, and enemy fighting behind lines, we were ruthless with them. We catch a spy...he is interogated and then lined up and shot. In that much lagrer World War, we did it in four years.
Then we took the waisted enemies and helped them keep from starving and then supported them building back constitutional republics.
We could have...and should fight these wars that way.
For example...a Fullejah would have been given an ultimatum. Come out in 72 hours or all the blood is on your hands. Then, instead of sending thousands of marines in their to take the place in a bloody house to house fight whiuch plays into their hands and desire for Jihad, we deny them that...we surround the place with Abrmas tanks and Bradley IFVs and then bombed it to rubble with B-52s for about three weeks. Then send in the mop up teams...plow the whole place under and salt the ground and have the survivors and those who did come out build a new city four or five miles away with wide streets and no cubby holes and tell them if they ever so much as harm the hair on an American’s head we will be back and do it again.
Anyhow..we have to defeat the enemy...not try to win their hearts and minds. Do that after they are utterly defeated and know there is no hope for their damnable Jihad cause.
And secure our borders as well. Slam it shut like an iron door except for the indentified and legal entry points where legal imigrants and visitors can come across.
We can do both...and should have long ago.
Screw rebuilding their rat’s nests. The only treasure we should expend is what it costs to reduce them to rubble. Period. islam is incompatible with Western civilization. Rebuilding them in any way is folly.
Jeff,
we’re not that far apart on this. For example - when we were in Iraq (your example of Fallujah is a good one), the Pentagon had absurd and unprecedented rules of engagement that not only tied the hands of the soldiers, but put their lives in needless jeopardy. The same was / is true in Afghanistan.
To put a finer point on my objection to pursue any further military engagements thousands of miles away, I would first have to be convinced that we had a strategy in place to win and that the theater and field level commanders were given authority to plan and execute without political interference.
I think you would admit that hasn’t been the case and with the bizarre conflicting ideologies within the Pentagon now, wouldn’t be the case wherever our fighting men and women would be deployed. Congress is also passive and out of the loop of decision making as to whether a military action is in our best interests. Instead, they defer to the White House. This is constitutionally out of order.
We now have Imperial Presidents (Bush, Obama) that are more like reigning Monarchs than constitutionally constrained Commander In Chiefs. No, until that situation is resolved, I tend to view most of these actions as wagging the dog for political purposes rather than motivated by National security.
Why aren’t the borders secure? We’ve just seen a report from the GAO, based on statistics from the Border Patrol that contradicts the narrative of Janet Napolitano that the border is under control. I know that you’ll agree with me that 40% (which may be a generous estimate) is not the border ‘under control’.
While I am by no means suggesting that we toss out counter terrorism, I think the War on Terror as it has actually been administrated, has been leveraged into an abusive and controlling Police State apparatus that has us more under control than the potential terrorist.
Some perspective needs to be applied to this. Americans are more likely to be killed by medical malpractice, drunk Illegal Aliens, Hurricanes, Tornados, unstable furniture, bath tubs, Alcohol and other substance abuse, Tobacco related diseases, Hospital infections, Lightning strikes, Bee, Hornet and Wasp stings, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases than domestic Terror attacks. I’m not willing make a trade in which I am virtually immune from terrorist events or mass shootings, but surrender the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th and any number of other amendments to the Constitution protecting me from Government tyranny. It’s not a good bargain.
Finally, whether we agree completely or not, I appreciate your respectful tone and willingness to discuss the issues & not get personal.