Posted on 01/31/2007 9:21:06 AM PST by Tolik
Edited on 01/31/2007 9:58:46 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
In all the shouting about a lost presidency and the Bush disaster, few pay attention to actual facts, much less the always changing state of the union. In the last 30 days, federal revenues reached an all-time monthly high, gas prices keep heading down, interest rates and unemployment remain low, with the stock market, home ownership percentages, and economic growth strong.
(Excerpt) Read more at victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com ...
Surging [Victor Davis Hanson]
In the national acrimony over the cart of a political solution in Iraq versus the horse of military security, it is often forgotten that from April to July 2003 there was relative postbellum security in Iraq, well before the elections and while the occupation was desperately trying to restore services and utilities.
Why? There was still the fear and respect for the lethality of the U.S. military that had taken out Saddam in three weeks and might do the same to any who tried to restart the war.
Two things then happened, in that first brief lost window: the political, economic, and social reform necessary to starve the nascent insurgency of popular support in and outside of Iraq stalled, and second, we turned to reactive policing, under the glare of the international media, rather than ruthlessly killing the terrorists — and so insidiously lost the fear and respect from our enemies gained in the war. In a war imbued with symbolism withdrawing from Fallujah or giving Sadr a reprieve was nearly fatal to the notion of Western lethality.
This is not ancient history or a game of gottcha, but has some value for our present crux, since it reminds us that in a war of counter-insurgency the political solution must be contemporaneous with military operations that destroy and humiliate the insurgents.
Only that way do the vast majority of indifferent citizens not only see greater prosperity and security by allying with the new government, but also nothing but death and destruction should they join the terrorists and militias. So while we restart the political process by insisting on greater Sunni participation, and hope we can fund more job-creating industry and commerce, we must be merciless to those who would derail all this.
If we have a surge, that means sending combined Iraqi-American units on proactive operations to destroy the terrorists and their supporters. If we don't, then the additional numbers will only offer bigger targets and added prestige to the terrorists who operate despite increased American investment.
I don't think it is wise for supporters of the surge, to backtrack and call it a "bump" or to suggest it is not really that big of a deal. In the current political climate, whatever the actual numbers, it will take on a sort of crossing of the Rubicon: if it fails, it will bring the entire Iraqi operation to a close with Democratic cut-offs, in the manner of 1974-5, of funding for the war. So we need to see the surge not in terms of manpower, but as a refinement of tactics and strategy favoring the offensive that requires more troops for success. Key here of course is an Iraqi government that understands this is the last chance for democratic success, and must have no qualms about disarming the Shiite militias and using the army to quell both Shiite and Sunni terrorists.
IB4P?
Let me know if you want in or out.
Links: FR Index of his articles: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
His website: http://victorhanson.com/
NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
New Link! http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/
WOW
Yes!
Thanks to Witchman63 for previously posting the VDH Corner notes here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1763481/posts
Why, Victor, why ask?
There's nothing self-destructive about it. Kerry has built a highly successful career from such pronouncements.
They LOVE him in the Democrat strongholds of Lower Slobovia! The more anti-American, the more the anti-American Leftist LOVE him! The Massachusetts Neanderthals never tire of him; they keep sending him back to the Senate, over and over again.
Surely that wasn't a serious question, Vic.
I don't understand his comment about the Vietnam War continuing until the end of Nixon's presidency. The peace treaty was signed in January 1973, and he resigned more than 18 months later, in August 1974. During that interval there was little news coming out of South Vietnam--the collapse began in March 1975.
The biggest disappointment since the 06 election is the MSM's recapturing public discourse. The blogosphere just isn't effective enough against it.
Good article.
Hanson writes "Despite the partisan rhetoric, sober Democrats know that Iraq won’t go away. Its strategic location..."
Sober Democrats. Other than Joe Lieberman, who might that be???
bump
If only Vietnam could have been a peninsula, like Korea. With rules of engagement that left them to being outflanked from Laos and Cambodia, they could never replicate the status quo ante that was achieved on the Korean peninsula. Phase IV planning for Operation Iraqi Freedom ignored lessons from history. Without a plan to secure Iraq's borders and the reportedly more than six hundred "open air" ammo dumps around Iraq, we asked for trouble.
Well, there is Teddy Kennedy, and then there is Chris Dodd. What better examples could you ask for....
Oh, you said sober...I thought you said slober.
Nice "pins"!
Nothing like those old eighties tunes ...
Democrats love spending surges.
THOSE are NEVER out of favor, discredited or 'failed.'
The more spending (the bigger the 'surge'), the better.
Examples: Public Edn., Head Start, etc.
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