Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to re: Let's review the situation

tunnel vision
Robert — (archived)

Wars take place in a larger political context, and to focus on military tactics is to lose sight of the forest for the trees.

The reasons given for invading Iraq shifted daily; while the WMD and Al Qaeda connection dodges have pretty much evaporated, what's left are the intention to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein, and the pledge to establish a model democracy in the Middle East.

Military tactics have to support the political agenda, and I just don't see how use of a terror weapon against Iraqis will in any way further the effort to pacify and civilize Iraq. The use of a weapon that amounts to torture of those it doesn't kill instantly can't help but draw unwelcome comparisons with the torture and maiming committed by Saddam Hussein. It calls into question our claims of moral superiority. If we lose the moral high ground we don't have a prayer of ever bringing peace and freedom to Iraq. Only fear and intimidation, and those don't last in the long run.

History's pretty much forgiven us for the expediencies of Dresden, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the use of napalm in Vietnam...but we're never going to be praised for those things. Will we ever learn from our past mistakes?

Our only hope of doing better next time is to critique what we've done this time. We failed to live up to our own standards...again. I cannot keep quiet about that.

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