Yes, it is great to be on the winning side in this endeavor, but I get a caution light in my mind when I sense the boasting about it. Grinding their noses in their shame only lessens the possibility that they can ever be converted to become friendly as a nation to us.
All it would take is for another democRAT administration to give these guys some of these gunships like X42 gave away our satellite guidance codes to the chineeeeeeze and we could see ourselves attacked with the same aplomb as this story depicts us doing to them.
I can understand your concerns, I really do.
Regarding another x42, God forbid that this nation every loses sight of what that traitor did to us. May his legacy be forever fixed in peoples minds and that legacy is symbolized, realized in that huge hole where the World Trade Center towers stood. May we never forget.
I believe in my heart of hearts that 9/11 has forever changed the political dynamics of this nation.
Not in a million years. They're only useful if you have air superiority, otherwise they get swatted like flies.
that's the thing-aside from ballistic missiles, all the rest of the military gear saddam bought didn't really help, because their military couldn't use it as a whole. They had some reasonably sophisticated aircraft, some nice artillery...but they lacked incidividual and command level skills to use their kit effectively.
re: "rubbing their faces in it." I had in mind the Taliban/Al-Qaeda guys- the religious nut cases. I think seeing them publicly humilitated will lessen their support.
I would not suggest we do that with the Iraqis, whose "hearts and minds" we're trying to win.
On the contrary -- these people have to "hit bottom" before they'll give up their illusions.
Or they have to die. Whichever; it's entirely up to them.
/sigh