Peggy Noonan: We Can Take It: The benefits of the long haul.

Opinion Journal ^ | 3/31/3 | Peggy Noonan

[WaveThatFlag]

Unanticipated good can come from misfortune. When the war began 11 days ago, on that Thursday morning that began with the big bunker blaster hit on the famous target of opportunity, it seemed possible, if only for 48 hours, that this just might be an easy war. What surprise and relief. There were reports that Saddam Hussein might be dead or injured, and the Iraqi command seemed in chaos.

[Bronzewound]

there was an exceptional amount of braggadocio on threads before the war started.

Very good point. Even the name "Shock and Awe", has sounded a little arrogant to me. I have no problem with the practice of it, I just think it would be better to just do it and not brag about it beforehand. It's this kind of thing that makes us appear arrogant to the rest of the world. Like putting up the US flag after we've secured a region.

We need to be more careful. I don't believe most of us are arrogant, but a few can make it seem that way.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Bravo!

You are wonderful and articulate as always...

God Bless!

Ms.B

How are you feeling these days?

[whadizit]

I agree with you completely! Action speaks louder than words! Also, I have heard coming from the Pentagon reporters all these statements, i.e. "we captured a general", etc., etc. Then, they have to retract. Are we that desperate to have a success that we have to jump the gun all the time? Note to Pentagon: relax.

[Bronzewound]

I know. I am very tired of the premature reports of chemical weapons findings, for example, only to have them dissolve in the next few hours.

Our hit the floor running culture doesn't make for quality in journalism or any other endeavor. Don't get me started on quality.

[Ruth A.]

Hooray for Peggy again.

[drlevy88]

I believe Sun-Tzu counseled in war to get your enemy to think you are doing one thing, but actually do another. I don't think the hits during S&A were mostly or even largely for show. They were stuff that had to be hit.

[drlevy88]

I believe Sun-Tzu counseled in war to get your enemy to think you are doing one thing, but actually do another. I don't think the hits during S&A were mostly or even largely for show. They were stuff that had to be hit.

[whadizit]

"...reports of chemical weapons findings,...."

Exactly! They get our hopes up and then have to retract. Even the very lst bomb. Reports of death of Saddam or his top aides, etc. Just one thing after another. We need to take one of these little towns and CONTROL it before we can brag about any successes.

[MHGinTN]

What is happening now in Iraq is what happens when your troops and their leaders do everything possible to limit civilian casualties. They do this because it is humane and necessary to a great power, and also because each civilian death is a propaganda opportunity for the antiwar effort. (More on that later.) As we've come to expect from this brilliant Lady, another calm, rational perspective on things.

I underlined the passage to address what Peter Arnett has done with his self-agrandizing encouragement to the enemy: given the brutality of the Baathist regime, Arnett encouraged them to slaughter Iraqi civilains and blame it on our Soldiers, because he asserted that his reporting of civilian casualties was effecting opposition to this 'Bush war'. Arnett handed the regime a golden opportunity for propaganda weaponry ... and that's the only weaponry of Saddam's which can actually cause us pause, not halt, just pause.

If a fabricated slaughter occurs in the next 36 hours and is blamed on our Soldiers, I will call for Arnett's prosecution as a war criminal for aiding and abetting the atrocity to civilians. I can only imagine the shock and awe Peggy suffered when she heard Peter Arnett's complete betrayal of the ethics of their profession with his treachery to our Troops and Iraqi civilians, not to mention his feeding the fanatical Arab streets if such an atrocity occurs for we know whom they will believe!

[BonnieJ]

I have a question: Is it a concern that Pres. Bush has "only" about 68% approval at this point? As they love to remind us, his father had 90% during the Gulf War. Was that at the end of it? Of course, it didn't do him any good with Perot in the mix. And actually it may be amazing that Pres. G.W. has that high, with the economy and stock market still in decline and all the bad press! But I had expected it to go higher, as it did after 9-11.

[Bronzewound]

Sun-Tzu's advice is good; absolutely. Disinformation is part of war.

I wasn't suggesting that anything we are doing is for show. I am saying that there has been too much of what sounds like bragging. Shock and awe would be even more shocking and awesome if no one knew it were coming beforehand.

Actions speak louder than words.

[JohnHuang2]

Thanks for the Noonan ping, friend

[JohnHuang2]

Peggy Noonan MEGA PING!!

[Allan]

Bump

[The Great Satan]

I admitted I was wrong about my proposition that there would be another stall. However, I was right that the story of "shock and awe" and "inside out" was BS, and I was correct in predicting that, if we decided we would could not afford another stall, we would go with an "outside in" strategy, which is what we now see coming to pass.

[BlessedBeGod]

Peggy Bump!

[Miss Marple]

All I want to know is if you paid Jim Robinson yet.

Oh, and have you learned to disagree with people without being insulting?

[Samwise]

Or as Dad used to say, "Figures don't lie, but liars figure."

[Terp]

Unless I am mistaken, I don't believe they have ceremonies for Purple Hearts, which are given for any injury during war, whether by enemy fire or accident. I think they usually just mail them out. Can anyone supply some expertise here?

I can't think of any reason why they would mail the Purple Hearts to them except for one reason and that would be if the paperwork for the award wasn't completed before the service member had been discharged from active service which is not the case with these guys.

Terp

[FreedomPoster]

>>a lot of Americans will find it necessary to read between the lines as progress of the war, and world feeling about it, is reported.


Peggy's closing advice to America is worth repeating. Over and over again.

The silver lining is that this will likely speed the dominance of FNC, and further the fall of ABCNNBCBS.