There is an old story that I vaguely remember - a few hundred years ago there was a war between a Swiss Canton and an Italian city-state. The Italian general maneuvered the Swiss until the Swiss was fighting up hill with the sun in their eyes. The tradition of the day demanded that the Swiss General surrender and avoid bloodshed.
Unfortunately the Swiss General decided to fight, something unheard of. The story goes on that the Swiss won the day handily.
I'm sure that I mangled the story, but the lesson is quite obvious. And it happened again this week!
Ethiopia was being assaulted by Somalian Islamofascists. Luckily, the Ethiopians do not read the New York Times, therefore they did not understand the rules. They attacked and fought.
In a magnificent New York Post article, Ralph Peters analyzes the situation. It is worth reading.
We have been trying to fight wars intellectually since the Korean War. We haven't won one since. We have the strongest military that the planet has ever known. If we use it properly we cannot lose.
Going in and fighting a ruthless war sounds bad, but far fewer people will die. We will win and they will lose. It is that simple.
Being ruthles is by far the most humane way to fight a war.
About Me
- The Flomblog
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- I'm a Vietnam Vet, Retired Mainframe Programmer, Retired College Adjunct Teacher, Published Author, Adult Boy Scout Leader, Republican, Jewish, married with two magnificent grown kids.