http://www.artlindsey.com/politics/gi-schmoe/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:16:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 http://www.artlindsey.com/politics/gi-schmoe/#comment-39 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:13:58 +0000 http://www.artlindsey.com/politics/gi-schmoe/#comment-39 An aside that just popped into my head. The reckless and irresponsible way we've been applying the terms "winning" or "losing".If we don't achieve all of our objectives in Iraq it does not mean Our military did not perform admirably, it just means that that method of engagement wasn't an effective method to achieve our goal. Simply put: If I beat a guy up to change his behavior and he doesn't change does that mean I lost. No I won the fight I just didn't get the result I was looking for and probably need to try another method of getting him to change. An aside that just popped into my head. The reckless and irresponsible way we’ve been applying the terms “winning” or “losing”.If we don’t achieve all of our objectives in Iraq it does not mean Our military did not perform admirably, it just means that that method of engagement wasn’t an effective method to achieve our goal. Simply put: If I beat a guy up to change his behavior and he doesn’t change does that mean I lost. No I won the fight I just didn’t get the result I was looking for and probably need to try another method of getting him to change.

]]> http://www.artlindsey.com/politics/gi-schmoe/#comment-37 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:45:46 +0000 http://www.artlindsey.com/politics/gi-schmoe/#comment-37 Is there some rule I don't know about that if a person serves in the military, fights in a war and then as a civilian becomes a democrat, then he hates the military. There seem to be a lot of people who are characterized this way. I myself have been characterized as a pacifist, anti-military,and an america hater for my opinions about when and how to apply military force. The opposite is true however. To accuse Democrats and liberals of hating the military and hating "the little people" is just as wrong as accusing Conservatives and republicans of hating black people and hating poor people. If I wanted I could build a pretty compelling case to support such a claim and convince lots of people,Hell a lot of people already believe this, when I was growing up in the inner-city I believed it to. But no matter how compelling a case I made I would be still be wrong. People that claim that Democrats want the US to "lose in Iraq" are playing a rhetorical game. Nobody wants us to lose. I certainly don't. It is however hard to look for victory when I have no clue what it's supposed to look like. Let's pose the question: is military victory possible in Iraq. Actually we've had numerous military victories in Iraq.As someone pointed out, from a military combat perspective this has been the most successful in our history. We can continue to win military victory after victory and it won't get Iraq one inch closer to solving it's current dilemna because the problem is not military it's political and cultural. Whether we win "militarily" in Iraq is irrelevant to solving the current crisis that is. For the sake of argument I would like anyone to tell me which of Our current objectives in Iraq can be achieved militarily as opposed to diplomatically. Is there some rule I don’t know about that if a person serves in the military, fights in a war and then as a civilian becomes a democrat, then he hates the military. There seem to be a lot of people who are characterized this way. I myself have been characterized as a pacifist, anti-military,and an america hater for my opinions about when and how to apply military force. The opposite is true however. To accuse Democrats and liberals of hating the military and hating “the little people” is just as wrong as accusing Conservatives and republicans of hating black people and hating poor people. If I wanted I could build a pretty compelling case to support such a claim and convince lots of people,Hell a lot of people already believe this, when I was growing up in the inner-city I believed it to. But no matter how compelling a case I made I would be still be wrong. People that claim that Democrats want the US to “lose in Iraq” are playing a rhetorical game. Nobody wants us to lose. I certainly don’t. It is however hard to look for victory when I have no clue what it’s supposed to look like. Let’s pose the question: is military victory possible in Iraq. Actually we’ve had numerous military victories in Iraq.As someone pointed out, from a military combat perspective this has been the most successful in our history. We can continue to win military victory after victory and it won’t get Iraq one inch closer to solving it’s current dilemna because the problem is not military it’s political and cultural. Whether we win “militarily” in Iraq is irrelevant to solving the current crisis that is. For the sake of argument I would like anyone to tell me which of Our current objectives in Iraq can be achieved militarily as opposed to diplomatically.

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