Posted on 03/17/2008 7:00:15 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Aiding The Enemy
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 3/17/2008
Media: Is there anything to the theory that an enemy gains strength when its opponent demonstrates a lack of will to fight? Yes, say two Harvard scholars, and it has happened in Iraq.
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Radha Iyengar, a health policy economist, and Jonathan Monten, an international security program research fellow, found that "in periods after a spike in war-critical statements, insurgent attacks increases by 5% to 10%."
The results might surprise some. But there's no reason they should. North Vietnamese generals knew they had a chance for a favorable outcome in their war if the American public turned hard enough against it. They saw the anti-war protesters as their allies. A better description for such people, though, might be "useful idiots."
Opposition at home during wartime is likely to produce two effects. It can cause morale problems for the troops fighting overseas and embolden the enemy. Reasonable assumptions, we'd say, but the latter had never been empirically proved — until now.
"We find that in periods immediately after a spike in anti-resolve statements, the level of insurgent attacks increases," Iyengar and Monten write in "Is There an 'Emboldenment' Effect? Evidence From the Insurgency in Iraq."
Terrorists might not have all their marbles, but they are nevertheless rational actors. Why wouldn't they take obsessive media opposition to the war and doubt expressed during public debate as cues to escalate? What they see tells them that if they inflict enough damage, America will cut and run because the public isn't willing to suffer the hardship.
The researchers characterize the increases in violence as small. "To the extent that U.S. political speech does affect insurgent incentives, it changes things only by about 10% to 20%," they reckon....
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
The libs stink up the media with all of their anti-war propaganda, but don’t dare call them traitors.
(close paraphrase, I seldom buy the worthless thing)
Gives them a chance to really pop the cork in celebration when it does reach that number.
if you’ve been following the casualty figures over at Iraq Coalition Casualties, today’s the day they’ve been dreading when their period 6 (surge) average deaths per day dipped below every previous period except the very early post-”combat operations phase.” They broke out the average daily #’s when the early surge had relatively high casualties, up around 4/day, and it’s been relentlessly going down since. Thank God.
Ping.
Yes, how must they feel. Decent Americans have to feel like they're the traitors that they are.
Good for these two Harvard scholars, they get it!
Very good article, thanks for posting.
And good for Investors Business Daily for writing about it.
I think we can safely assume that the New York Times, or any other franchise of the Dinosaur Media will be touching this story any time soon.
I'd be quite willing to see them forgo their seditious 'freedom of speech' to save the 10% to 20% of the deaths and injuries they add to both our troops and the civilian populace.
Amen to that, brit!
“You’re right, the hatred of Bush is what drives them. Another dead Marine only brings them joy.”
—
With a little paraphrase of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama-mama’s pastor:
God DAMN these leftist loons!
So would I, brityank, and that would be the least of what they should do.
Just imagine what we could be seeing if they actually promoted our efforts there, and spoke of the accomplishments and successes that occur every day.
If they would only do that, our guys could come home sooner. Isn't that what the nay-sayers claim they want?
The anti-war protesters, the peace movement, they have the blood of our troops on their hands.
...and they could not care less.
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