[thechat] name of Operation Infinite Justice to be changed
Martin
martin at members.evolt.org
Fri Sep 21 12:56:53 CDT 2001
Bill Haenel wrote on 21/9/01 6:12 pm
>What's changed in 50 years is that about 30 years ago, we went to Vietnam.
>At that time, large numbers of Americans stood up and said WAR SUCKS, WE
>DON'T WANT WAR. Have Americans changed their minds since then? Or will we
>hold true to those ideals that so many spoke out for during our presence in
>Vietnam.
But is that because
a) War which kills people we know is an inconvenient thing
b) War which kills people we know is a non-ethical thing
Robert Macnamara wrote a book apologising for the US war in
IndoChina. But the apology was to the American people because
a lot of Americans got killed.
>We've seen wars that require a small percentage
>of our volunteers only.
The thing is, this war will not be a Gulf War, or a Falklands War, a
"Roll up, Roll in, Roll Over" kind of a war where it's all concluded
quickly and easily, without much in the way of (our) casualties.
It's going to be much closer to Vietnam:
*) Difficult Terrain (actually more so, because there's nothing
to defoliate or burn to make it easier)
*) An (at best) indifferent population
*) A dedicated, experienced enemy, difficult to distinguish from the
rest of the population
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