Replies

Even we in the enlightened West have understood that it is better to be feared than loved. As Indicated above, the entire justification for subscribing to stuff like the Geneva Convention is to protect our soldiers who are POWs. If reciprocity does not work, then we are being naive to continue with the niceties when they are first torturing and then beheading our soldiers.

Some folks will only understand a 2x4 to the head. Our soldiers go to prison for leading their goons around on a dog leash. When they torture and mutilate our soldiers, the other side is rewarded.

We have bent over backwards trying to be nice. As I recall, we got al-Zarqawi because some informant ratted him out under circumstances that did not merit the $25,000,000.00 reward. I don't think for a second that al-Zarqawi got fingered because the informant thought that the USA is full of nice guys.

As nearly as I can tell the previous ruler of Iraq kept a pretty tight lid on things and his soldiers were not tortured or mutilated. I am not suggesting that we need to be like Hussein, but we need to show that we can make life just as miserable for those who would do this sort of thing if we are sufficiently provoked. Disagreeing with us is not sufficient provocation. Torturing and killing POWs is.

Game theory has repeatedly shown that tit for tat is the best way to deal with intransigent factions. If they give us a Twiggy tat, I'm prepared to give them a Dolly Parton tit.