Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

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Hanson on the Will to Fight

Another brilliant, if not cheerful, piece by Victor Davis Hanson on our current struggle.   

Discussions - 9 Comments

The heart of the matter, according to VDH: The war there has metamorphosized from a successful effort to remove a mass-murdering dictator into the frontlines of the entire struggle between Islamic radicalism and Western liberality. If we withdraw before the elected government stabilizes, the consequences won’t just be the loss of the perceptions of power, but perhaps the loss of real power. What follows won’t be the impression that we are weak, but the fact that we are--as we convince ourselves we cannot win against such horrific enemies, and so should never again try.

There are several distinct propositions here and in the piece generally, needing judgment and expertise that I, for one, lack.

If we are to be appalled, as Hanson is, by liberals going all-wobbly, we should also be vexed by the lack of political and strategic sobriety in the decision to "regime change."

P.S. I just got around to reading Dan Mahoney’s post on Krauthammer (earlier thread). Dan says it all better and with characteristic philosophical panache.

Yes. I agree with you Steve, all around.

With regard to hope not being a method, Senator, I agree with you, and I would also say that despair is not a method. And when I come to Washington I feel despair. When I’m in Iraq with my commanders, when I talk to our soldiers, when I talk to the Iraqi leadership, they are not despairing. They believe that they can move the country toward stability with our help. And I believe that.

Put it all together – the Forward Observation Bases, new Combat Operation Posts, new Observation Posts, tribal cooperation, ever more Iraqi army and police, better intelligence, and public works projects. There’s no "stay the course" strategy here; the course changes as necessary and it’s continually changed for the better. I believe we are winning the Battle of Ramadi. And if the enemy can be beaten here,he can be beaten anywhere.

Rumors of the demise of our policies in the middle east in general, and Iraq in particular, are greatly exaggerated.

An alternative take on the farmer from Fresno:

https://www.counterpunch.org/werther09072005.html


Redstate, freerepublic, lgf, etc are for self-appointed "legal scholars" like Guido.

Redstate, freerepublic, lgf, etc are for self-appointed "legal scholars" like Guido.

Right, for once, you are Tom Pain! And there are more here here here here here here and here. And that only takes us through the letter C.

Well Tom Pain and U.G. your cited links rate only two letters of the alphabet.............

BS

Jesse:

There are muslims who want to kill us. You and me. If you think the blogs, such as Ace of Spades, Black Five and Michael Fumento, which are in direct contact with the men and women who are trying to keep that from happening are B.S., and if I think you are B.S., we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

It’s impossible to have an accurate read of the situation within Iraq without reviewing the military bloggers.

Our media, by their own choice, have confined themselves to the Green Zone, from which they never depart, except on their final flight out. It’s a disgrace actually. But for the narrative they intend to relate, the facts might get in the way.

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