Re: OT: Another Simberg satire?


"Dave Michelson" <davem@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Ywshh.502458$R63.339529@xxxxxxxxxxxx
OM wrote:

...And it's a history lesson for the ages. To prevent an enemy from
resurrecting itself, you conquer it totally as a conqueror, destroy
everything, and then rebuild from scratch to your specifications, showing
the locals that it's far better to be your friend and do things your way
than be independent and do things in the fucked up fashion you'd been
doing them because you didn't know better, much less being your enemy at
the same time.

AFAIK, your General Sherman was the first modern military commander to
recognize this. His strategy of economically crippling and
psychologically intimidating the rebels during his famous March to the
Sea has led to his being recognized as one of the fathers of modern
warfare.

This, to me, is the primary problem with how the situation in Iraq was
handled- we went in as friends, not as conquerers. The only shock and awe
that was generated related to the funding. It's too late now to switch to
the tactics that were needed in the first place.

Clearly, this is the result of The Prince and other classics no longer being
required reading.


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