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>> Was that the Navy's fault, or did the Japanese have something to do with it?

I think you just hit on the heart of the matter. When did the Japs stop using kamikazes? The answer to this question has a lot to do with our problem in Iraq.

To be explicit, and not to be confused, the answer to my question is: when we totally defeated the Nips. I'm not suggestion we should have dropped atomic weapons on Iraq - there was a lot more to America defeating Japan in WWII than two bombs. There was a series of total defeats for Japs, island after island until the only thing remaining was an invasion of Japan proper. We lost many lives along the way. The Japs lost many, many more. In the end, Japan capitulated and we were able to do anything we wanted. We dictated the terms at surrender and everything after the war to Japan. Their constitution was approved by us - and if we didn't want something in their constitution, it was pulled out. This should be the expectation every time we put our soldiers, airmen, seamen, and marines in harms way – that when we are finished kicking their butts, we get our way.

Any time we put American lives on the line we should do our best to make sure the job is done correctly. Iraq has not been totally defeated. If Iraq was totally defeated, the would-be terrorist thug that is giving us problems today would be either dead or he would be shaking in his sandals. Obviously, this approach would not eliminate the need for armor. But when and where you expect to use armor would be more in line with prewar thinking.

A good chunk of this problem can be blamed on the political correctness that the Clinton administration and liberals laid on us in the 90’s. The idea of sterile war or no war is completely outrageous – it doesn’t meet any political or national security objectives.

When did the Japs stop using kamikazes?

When the Emperor told them to.

EMPEROR HIROHITO'S BROADCAST TO THE JAPANESE PEOPLE ON SURRENDER

A big reason we have roadside bombers and mad mortar men now is that we did not kill enough of these . . . Saddamites last spring. Precision guided munitions and oversensitivity to collateral damage and "civilian" casualties has led to a situation in which the conquered population does not consider itself conquered and lacks the requisite fear and respect. We went to consider effort not to kill as many Iraqis as possible. Our forbearance has not been well rewarded, but what can we do? Americans are the good guys. The only people the Yankees ever got truly medieval on are Indians, Confederates and Filipinos.

This should be the expectation every time we put our soldiers, airmen, seamen, and marines in harms way – that when we are finished kicking their butts, we get our way.

I sympathize with the sentiment, but that ain't the way things work in the real world anymore. We don't do total war, we don't get Congress to declare war, we don't fully mobilize our labor force and manufacturing capacity, and we don't whip the crap out of anybody so bad that the next two generations are complete pacifists.