I note that the author does not explicitly make the case that Miles was tied to his supply tail while the Indians were not. But this is a different argument.
Posted on 11/25/2006 3:52:09 AM PST by Cannoneer No. 4
One might recall that in 1968, the Wise Men, a group of Democratic policymakers that included Dean Acheson, Clark Clifford, and Mac Bundy and which shaped our Cold War policy under Truman, lost their nerve over the Vietnam War, into which they had done so much to get the US involved. In March of that year, right after our troops had won a major victory in turning back the North Vietnamese Winter-Spring Offensive, and with the public still supporting the war effort, these Wise Men told President Johnson that the war could not be won.
The points, however, are valid---use natives when possible (an old British trick) and don't get carried away with the "destroy-the-village-to-save-it" approach.
The heroism of thousands in the Iraqi and Afghan militaries is testimony to the fact that they are willing to fight and die for democratic principles and peace.
Good point on the Moros. Don't forget, however, that he used a "guns and butter" approach, and while he was crushing the enemy forces, Americans poured into the Philippines to build hospitals, streets, schools, and so on. Those "behind the scenes" troops and civilians had a powerful impact on the outcome of the Filipino Insurrection/Moro Wars.
The Arizona campaign was a whole 'nother story, a story of unremarkable men doing rather remarkable things with the clouds and fog of war hanging low and dense. Crook, by himself, probably would have notched up another failure had it not been for other equally interesting characters. John Clum at San Carlos, Al Sieber, Chief of Scouts, the Indian scouts themselves, tenacious and (usually) loyal. The dynamic that these men created ended the Apache Wars. Could it have been done faster and better? Probably. But this is the way it was done.
The horse issue was not critical to Arizona. The Apache could dogtrot up to 60 miles a day WITH women and children, up and down mountain ranges, in and out of ravines. The few horses they had were used until they were useless, eaten, and more stolen. Crook, himself, rode a mule.
You forgot: and do not let them open Casinos
We need a modern-day George Crook to work on the Taliban and convince them to give up the fight. I doubt that anyone can convince most of the Al-Qaeda fanatics to lay down their arms, but a number of the Taliban might be willing to listen.
I note that the author does not explicitly make the case that Miles was tied to his supply tail while the Indians were not. But this is a different argument.
They're right.
But that doesn't mean we who DO deserve victory need to share their diminished expectations. Sadly, they are more than willing to export their low self-image. More sadly, there are others willing to accept delivery.
Witness the recent elections ...
All war ultimately comes down to logistics and will. Seizing the oil fields will shut off their supplies. Right now they have nothing else to do except fight us because we give them everything that they need. Ultimately they will lose their will to fight, simply through attrition.
Any nation that declares war on the US either through words or actions should lose their resources.
In contrast, when they arrived at the South Pole, they found many of Amundsen's tracks: both men and many dogs....dogs from Greenland which apparently survived and accomplished the mission at a much higher rate than the Russian dogs Scott had chosen. They may have been Huskies?
I think Malamutes are Alaskan...
They may not be eliminated, but we can place them in the same position as we have the American Indian -- isolated, broken, dysfunctional, without means of support, and harmless.
Are you indifferent to the plain fact that this thread is about George Crook, not Nelson Miles?
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