( – promoted by buhdydharma )
This is original to docudharma.
And so we have another general begging to send more troops to a foreign war. Apparently McCrystal doesn’t think we can finish the job with what we have there. All well and good, I suppose. I can’t imagine many generals not wanting more troops when their war isn’t going swimmingly.
Of course, we miss the point about the Afghan people (and the insurgents who may be active in Iraq, and what will happen in Iran shoud we spread the war there). There is one word to explain it all:
Wolverine!
Apparently this was the battle cry of a group of teenagers in the flick Red Dawn, which apparently is a training film for some/many on the right. The kids fought back against a Soviet invasion, as all good patriots would.
Tell me, why would we be good patriots for defending our country from invasion, while those who defend their countries against our invasions are considered terrorists? I mean, we all would be expected to take up arms were we to be invaded. I dare say many, if not most of us would.
Why do we expect less of others in similar circumstances?
Well…we’re the empire, aren’t we? And instead of a halfway interesting empire (say Alexander’s up to his death), we choose to follow Rome’s example.
BTW…Rome: BLECH!
Despite what you may get from reading around the internet, Alexander did conquer Afghanistan and Pakistan (The Graeco-Buhdist kingdom lasted some 250-300 some odd years after he left…it was the White Huns who overran them). Alexander tried depopulation, bribery and finally marriage to win over those fine folks who were his opposition at the time, and win them over he did.
So maybe Obama being a Muslim would be a possibly good thing if it were true.
Point being that we’re fighting against people defending their homelands. We haven’t won them over in 8 years. It’s not likely we will from here on out.
It’s time for the genius in the White House to come to the conclusion that we can’t win without depopulation, bribery and marriage.
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Thanks to whoever or the glitch that did it!
🙂
Absolutely, right on the money.
Even though you mention that Afghanistan had been conquered in the past, it is still considered a country where empires go to die.
I concur with that opinion.
penchant for sending soldiers into battle. It sort of gets them their stars, even if the battle is lost in many cases.
I worked with military folks for many years, and I can verily tell you that the folks who were not flag officers (under the rank of the several kinds of generals) are for the most part, nice folks, unless they have the ambition become generals.
That is why they give installation commands to Colonels for the most part, except for the really big installations. They (meaning the military bureaucracy) are testing them, to see if they have what they consider that it takes to become a “real” general, one who will become ever more compliant with the military talking points.
I have known four Colonels well. Three retired at that rank, and two were brilliant in their new professions. (I nice thing for officers is that you get your retirement after 20 years, regardless, and WE pay for it). Most of them become associated with government contractors, and we pay their NEW salaries and retirement again! This is not in any way exaggerated.
One became a general, but just a brigadier one (only one star). I think of her as a personal friend, and I do not believe that she would contradict my thoughts here. She was promoted because the Army needed to go the affirmative action thing, but at least they chose a person of talent and ability for the post. She became the Commander of one of our largest training sites, and did a wonderful job.
She and I were, and I hope, still are on a first name basis. Her only problem is that she is homosexual. That almost got her booted from the service, and it caused the best security officer that my installation ever had seen to be transferred. I will try to contact her to get permission to add more specific information.
The other two good colonels retired to the private sector, and have done well for us and for their families.
The bad one was very ambitious, and wanted more than anything to become a general officer. He failed miserably, and that is a good thing. He was petty, stupid, and only in his position of rank because he was a minority. You can all damn me to hell for that remark, but it is the truth. He had no ability at all, but just barely got passed upwards because of his ethnicity, and certainly not because of his skills in any area.
I remember his “welcome” ceremony, where he told us civilians that his priorities were, in this order, “My God, My family, and then my Nation.” As much respect as I can muster, I remember my oath of office to a civilian position that included only my affirmation to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I do not think that his ideals were in keeping with that.
The Army retired his stupid ass at the end of his last command. Good riddance.
Never take the word of a flag officer for anything but something that serves that officer. He or she, with extremely few exceptions, will trade rank and glory for the lives of soldiers. Damn me, and ban me, if you disagree, but I KNOW those folks, and the term “honorable” is not one that I think of very often, except for the few that quit the game.
Warmest regards,
Doc