The 1973 Syndrome. What's Wrong With Israel?
For those of us who remember the Six Day War in 1967, and the debacle at the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, this article has the absolute ring of truth.
When Olmert pronounced that “in this war we have already achieved unparalleled achievements that have changed the face of the Middle East,” Haaretz reported that senior officers in the audience wondered aloud, “Is it possible that he is looking at the same war that we are?” Other officers argued that if the Israeli moves were presented as a war exercise in the classroom, they would not have gotten a passing grade. Others spoke of hubris, of the faulty belief that the air force alone could overcome the Katyusha problem, and of the prolonged negligence in training reserve units and equipping them properly.
The article contains much more, of course. For those looking for clear insight into what is happening RIGHT NOW in Israel, please read this article.
I think the broader questions is: What's wrong with the ability to fight a war against an enemy/terrorist? Is it more difficult for those who value life than for those who worship and wish for death/martyrdom? Such questions must be answered before our enemies are defeated; and a defeatist attitude certainly isn't the answer.