Posted on 08/19/2007 8:05:59 PM PDT by ventanax5
Try explaining to a college student that Tet was an American military victory. You’ll provoke not a counterargument—let alone an assent—but a blank stare: Who or what was Tet? Doing interviews about the recent hit movie 300, I encountered similar bewilderment from listeners and hosts. Not only did most of them not know who the 300 were or what Thermopylae was; they seemed clueless about the Persian Wars altogether.
It’s no surprise that civilian Americans tend to lack a basic understanding of military matters. Even when I was a graduate student, 30-some years ago, military history—understood broadly as the investigation of why one side wins and another loses a war, and encompassing reflections on magisterial or foolish generalship, technological stagnation or breakthrough, and the roles of discipline, bravery, national will, and culture in determining a conflict’s outcome and its consequences—had already become unfashionable on campus. Today, universities are even less receptive to the subject
(Excerpt) Read more at city-journal.org ...
“I see nothing in Jackson’s campaigns which violate the laws of 19th-century warfare or even of modern warfare.”
Truly I meant no disrespect for General Jackson. I admire him greatly, and think many of his ideas are still appropriate. However, in today’s world the idea of “show them the black flag” would be considered a war crime. Or as he said when he entered Fredicksburg after it had been occupied by Federal Forces, “kill them, kill them all” wouldn’t be viewed as PC today.
Personally, I think he - in context - was right on. If the Southern leadership had of listened to him more, the outcome could have been different. General Sherman, although hated in the South, is also admired by me because he understood that in order to win the war he had to make the South sick of war and purposely set out to do that plus destroy its ability to support an army.
Today in the current operational environment in Iraq to win we must:
(1) Make the people love us so they will help us root out insurgents by turning them in.
or
(2) Make them fear and dread us so that the will turn in insurgents to keep us from coming down on their heads.
The first option is more in keeping with the American psyche, but the second one is much easier to execute.
“I would choose your option number two as well. Option number one depends on the balm of agape-evidently a very rare commodity in the Arab bazaar.”
My conclusion also, based on the very limited knowledge of what is going on, but I am not particularily pleased that such measures are necessary. I am afraid they are though.
PS to my last:
As Jackson might say, “Ours is to do our duty, the rest is in God’s hands.”
John Leo interviews VDH on Why Study War,
http://www.mindingthecampus.com/html/_mtc-interview_with_hanson.htm
Thanks for the link.
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