“this war is lost” – Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid
Hard to believe that THE most senoir member of congress and the Democratic party could utter those words – ok, maybe not that hard to believe. Here’s more from the story:
The war in Iraq “is lost” and a US troop surge is failing to bring peace to the country, the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, said Thursday.
“I believe … that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week,” Reid told journalists.
… I believe the war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically.”
Do they not have basic primers on this sort of stuff when you’re elected to major political office? Did he not learn anything from all those history classes at his ivy league schools?
You simply CAN’T win wars diplomatically, politically or economically. Now, economics can provide a strategic advantage in a war but it is one of many such factors. Bullets, bombs, and soilders – THESE win wars. The diplomats simply sort out the necessary paperwork AFTER the war has been won or lost.
The diplomatic corps is not kept on staff to “win wars” such an idea is lunacy. Diplomats exist to prevent wars. A noble job, but once the bullets start flying they rushed home on a helio and the military takes over.
In the history of the world no politician has ever won a war – they have however lost quite a few. Vietnam comes to mind. Which is interesting because many people want to compare Iraq to Nam — proving that they don’t realize why we lost there. The United States lost in Vietnam because the politicians wouldn’t call it a war and fully support it. Instead of pressing ahead for victory, they sought a vague middle ground of military action while lamenting ANY action back home. So while the parrallels are obvious, the realization that we sabotaged our own forces until we cried uncle – is apparenty not.
There is only one way to leave a war: the victor. Afterward you can discuss and mediate and make deals and such. If you don’t win, you don’t have much negotiating power.
Perhaps this example will simplify the point: You can’t start a fight with a bully and stop half way through. You can doubt the sanity of starting such a fight, but you can’t stop. No appology or appeasement will work at that point, only two options remain: 1) Total, unquestioned victory and the bully will never bother you again. 2) Anything else and the bully will revisit his pain upon you a hundred fold.
I understand that politicians like Senator Reid are simply short sighted people that are beholden to the MoveOn.org crowd and that they would do just about anything to hold on to and grow their own personal power. It’s just really sad when they prove me right.