If you have read many of my blogs you will know that I am a big fan of Ralph Peters. As an experienced warrior he offers harsh but clear analysis and is an excellent and prolific writer. Like his last few books this is a collection from his articles in the New York Post, Armed Forces Journal and other publications.
He sheds any politcal or party line loyalty. Rumsfeld lived up to the impossible task of making McNamara look good, and our media succeeds in snatching defeat from out hard won victories.
Both parties are dishonest with themselves and the public about the realities we face. Democrats have a disdain for our warriors and the Republicans succumb to the myths perpetuated by the Military Industrial Complex that with expensive technology we can win wars on the cheap. This myth seduces us into conflicts that we might avoid if we understood the cost in lives.
Peters dismisses the common Viet Nam analogy. He distinguishes our enemies. In Viet Nam and through much of the cold war we faced ‘political terrorists’, an enemy who could be intimidated with perceived or unused power. With less than total destruction enemies will alter their politics.
Today we face an ‘apocalyptic terrorist’ who sees death as a promotion. Shock and awe will not intimidate them, nor will expensive 300 million dollar a piece air craft. Their commitment is not political but religious and it takes a lot of killing to get people to alter their religious zealotry and tribal loyalty.
Humaitarian efforts will not replace a victory that inevitably follows a lot of killing. We can build hospitals and schools and they will assasinate teachers and doctors.
I have never served in the military or faced combat. Peter’s prescriptions and analysis is a pretty sharp slap in the face and harsh to hear. But perhaps attaining peace means killing the right people; even if there is a whole lot of them.
Our enemies are certainly up to the task. They have no reluctance to kill as many as necessary wherever they are to accomplish their aims.
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