COLLECTIVE MADNESS
“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
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ReplyDeleteI'll take the soldier at 30 seconds.
ReplyDeleteSure look better than the blubbery sluts of the same age in new-age Amerika.
Think how many young women might actually grow out of their Paris-Hilton Lite worlds if we had a universal service requirement.
Librarian Trish would probably call me a backwards trog, since service is best left to lifers.
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Time for Mat to unearth those great links he had to Army PinUps.
« Momentum Is A Factor In Iraq
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« "Fleeing Gunman Meets His Match"--A Lawyer
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ReplyDeleteThe problem in Iraq, facing US, is not a military one. Each of the Generals on the ground echo this version of reality.
ReplyDeleteBeginning last January 06 with General P, continuing with General Ordeino in his conversation with Ralph Peters last week and General Simmons in his interview with HH.
Let US take them at their word.
The matrix of real success is political and economic. Each General tell US so. The President tells US "We're kickin; ass", but does not say what matrix he's using to make that claim. One can assume he is speaking of the military matrix, as he was speaking just after his departure from a military base, built by Saddam, in Anbar.
The inconsequential front, strategicly speaking.
Ten years, 500,000 troops LOYAL & TRUE. That is what is required to stay and succeed, using General P's COIN Doctrine, that is what will be needed.
General Jones, a retired Marine General, tells US that the Iraqi require another 18 months of training before their Army is "ready". Interesting timeline, one that echos estimates made in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and again, today.
It is always just another year, maybe two, that will be needed. Cached articles on the internet are there, for easy reference and reading.
The Sunni parlimentarians continue their political dance, now that the Parliment is in session, they end their "boycott".
Come April the surge troops, that manpower bubble, will begin to deflate. It cannot be sustained by the US military as presently constituted.
But to achieve the breathing room required for political and economic stability, that'll take ten years and 500,000 troops, per the Army COIN Doctrine.
So does the US follow doug's advise, universal service, cut the pay and benefits to those that are drafted and continue the Iraqi occupation to some currently undefined, to Dick Cheney 1992 Standards, definition of "success", or follow the Law as it is today, passed in 2002, declare the mission accomplished and begin to leave, either now or in April 08?
That is the where the real debate should be.
If we are to leave, why wait until April to begin?
If we going to stay, we need to decide now, to gear up for the draftees induction and training, to have them ready to insert into units deploying to Iraq, in March, April and May of 2008.
But neither side of the asile will make the case that the Generals tell US is required to win.
Ten years more, 500,000 US troops.
I'd simply throw up my hands and surrender if I was chashed by those ladies. War's over.
ReplyDeleteFrisk me, please.
ReplyDeleteWe watched The Professionals last night.
ReplyDeleteMe and the Lifer.
After we talked about the failure to get bin Laden. His job. Twice now.
Lifers. Can't live with 'em. Can't live with 'em.
He thinks that Osama is still amongst the living then, aye.
ReplyDeleteThe legend lives, regardless.
espero que la pelicula gusta
Most definitely among the living. That's not news to anyone.
ReplyDeleteSecure in his place without another attack at home. No matter who you elect.
He, the magnanimous evangelical. Perfectly sincere in his outreaches to the unbeliever.
The jingoists missed the whole point of the dye job. Par for the course.
We hadn't seen it in a couple of years and decided to buy it.
ReplyDeleteOn so many levels, a great movie.
Lee Marvin. I "discovered" him in high school, through the miracle of Betamax, a few short years before his death. Dad had always been a fan. I've had a thing for him ever since.
His brother, an MI officer and (horror of horrors) general, came to speak to the OWC at Bragg, when I was in diapers. My mother never forgot it.
Doug,
ReplyDeleteI disagree. The Israeli pussy on base dating service needs to end. The sooner, the better.
At work this summer everyone was putting up people and jokes above their workstations.
ReplyDeleteAlong with some jokes, I put up Thomas Sowell, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Jean Francois Revel, Robert Heinlein, Charles Bronson, and Lee Marvin.
Something pissed me off one day in the news one day so I put the last two up in memorium of when actors were actually men.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNawbuG4mTg
ReplyDeleteOops.
ReplyDeleteMitchum was in the army.
ReplyDelete