Peggy Noonan: Will America crumple at the sight of its own blood?

The Times (U.K.) ^ | 03/26/03 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

Pinging Peggy's list.

[WaveThatFlag]

Twice in one week Peggy? To what do we own the pleasure?

[Porterville]

She always ask questions like this when she doubts her own resolve. Of course Bush ain't gonna quit, and neither are the Republicans.

[MEG33]

She's right. We still have the right stuff in most Americans.

[dts32041]

Only if the are NE Rino's will they quit.

[RaiderRose]

I heard a member of the military on
Rush Limbaugh today (didn't get the
guy's name) say that we can expect
70-to-90 percent casualties if we are
forced into urban warfare. "Casualties"
of course including wounded and dead.

I don't know if the general public
will stay behind this war if that happens.
I sure hope it doesn't happen, and I sure hope
that if it does, we do not make those
lives be lost for nothing by pulling out
(re: Somalia).

Anyone know if this 70-90 percent is
about the right number, or was this guy
way way off??

[MEG33]

Punditry will drive you mad.

[AAABEST]

She's right. We still have the right stuff in most Americans.

9 out of ten Americans are for the most part a bunch of spoiled suburban toy poodles. Having the "right stuff" is not "Hoorahing" to have others go die for you because your politicians sit around getting bright ideas.

[x1stcav]

Lots of examples of urban warfare in WWII and Vietnam (Hue '68). Pretty dirty fighting and nowhere near these levels of casualties.

Most units are combat ineffective when they've taken 25-35%.

[AAABEST]

Anyone know if this 70-90 percent is about the right number, or was this guy way way off??

Rule of war #1 - Never try to predict a damn thing. Be ready for anything, anytime.

[Paraclete]

Our willingness to fight to the death for something we believe in will send as strong a message to our enemies as victory itself. It has been painful to see our dead, wounded, and captured. Nonetheless, the high price they pay is purchasing a future for my children and grandchildren. I am extremely thankful for those who are living the hell of war.

[WaveThatFlag]

70% of Americans support the. One quarter are opposed. By contrast, the Communist Party candidate received 31% of the vote in the last Russian Presidential election. Is Russia in danger of returning to communism? Of course not!!!

[lawdave]

Hussein obviously thinks that with enough difficulties and enough deaths America will fold, as it did in Somalia,

Clinton is the one who lost his nerve after the "BlackHawk Down" battle in Somalia. He could not risk declining poll numbers caused by soldiers returning home in bodybags.By pulling out he made the deaths of our soldiers meaningless. What a creep.

[AAABEST]

Our willingness to fight to the death for something we believe in....

Our? Who's "our"? I'm assuming you have several family members on the front line.

God bless them and keep them safe.

[CyberAnt]

Yesterday, we captured a hospital which had been taken over by the enemy. We used bullhorns and told the medical people to leave and take the patients with them.

Then ... we went in and took over the hospital. We captured almost 200 people and their equipment. They even had a tank on the hospital grounds.

After we cleared the hospital, the medical staff and patients were told to go back into the hospital.

We could have just bombed the living poop out of the whole place and wasted the lives of civilians.

But ... we did it the right way and I believe this attitude will cause the civilians to rise up and help us.

[RaiderRose]

Fox News says they also found
3,000 chemical suits in that
hospital...funny...what would
they need chemical suits for
since they don't have any
chemicals??????

[TightSqueeze]

Of course Bush ain't gonna quit, and neither are the Republicans.

No need really as they will surely be replaced come '04.

[Homeschoolmom]

Aahhhhhh.. I love Peggy.. She inspires me so...

[Celtjew Libertarian]

The other thing about 9/11 is that we saw 3,000 murdered, as they went about their civilian business. It makes it a little easier to accept deaths among people who choose to put their life on the line, knowing that it's in order to help prevent another 9/11 from happening.

I don't know if the U.S. would have had a stomach for this before 9/11.