Comment Re:Iraq is a good example of this (Score 1) 1471
Actually there are numerous militaries who would of done better. But it really depends on your definition of better and what the objective is.
If it is to find WMD's then no military is really needed, I don't think this needs to be elaborated on. If it is to simply conduct regime removal then yes it is doable in such a way that years of war are unnecessary. If it is to decapitate the entire government and social structure and then rebuild it then No, there's not much any military could do. If it is to pacify the population while attempting to gain cost recovery then Yes other militaries can do it better. (The Romans for example would of eliminated 10% of regional population for each attack on their personele.) If it is to do something not properly defined, in the glare of public scrutiny with lots of legal uncertanties then most militaries (especially those involving conscription) would have very heavily asked not to be involved and may well have revolted. I suspect the German populace with military support would have lynched their civilian government literally, if they had got Germany stuck in something like this.
I think the point is that no one and I do mean no one (including Bush here, he has publically restated reasons so many times) knows why the US is their or what any ongoing mission is, what has support or how to finish. I believe that was the point of a Iraq study group and even that is being seriously trashed by many people.
If it is to find WMD's then no military is really needed, I don't think this needs to be elaborated on. If it is to simply conduct regime removal then yes it is doable in such a way that years of war are unnecessary. If it is to decapitate the entire government and social structure and then rebuild it then No, there's not much any military could do. If it is to pacify the population while attempting to gain cost recovery then Yes other militaries can do it better. (The Romans for example would of eliminated 10% of regional population for each attack on their personele.) If it is to do something not properly defined, in the glare of public scrutiny with lots of legal uncertanties then most militaries (especially those involving conscription) would have very heavily asked not to be involved and may well have revolted. I suspect the German populace with military support would have lynched their civilian government literally, if they had got Germany stuck in something like this.
I think the point is that no one and I do mean no one (including Bush here, he has publically restated reasons so many times) knows why the US is their or what any ongoing mission is, what has support or how to finish. I believe that was the point of a Iraq study group and even that is being seriously trashed by many people.
