By Owen Paine on Friday December 28, 2007 05:11 PM
Colin Powell, circa '95, on the lessons of 'Nam:
"War should be the politics of last resort.... When we go to war we should have a purpose our people understand and support.... In Vietnam we had entered into a half-hearted half-war... with much of the nation opposed or indifferent...."Well, General, such are all wars to maintain empire. Every damn time, those "opposed or indifferent" will become the slighted majority, when enough coffins come flying back home to us.
Colin says that in such wars, "a small fraction bear the burden." Indeed, draft or voluntary, either way it's "a small fraction." So for you it's Never Again, then, eh, Colin?
"My generation ... career captains, majors, and lt. colonels... vowed that when our time to call the shots came, we would not quietly aquiesce in half hearted warfare for half baked reasons...."Sigh. Where's the military-industrial complex when you need it?
Comments (1)
the fact the uncle's
counter insurgency army
was crumbling away faster then it could be honorably
with drawn
gets a few lights thrown on it
in the general's memoir
example :
officer powell
admits he rotated
at random
where he slept nites
while in the field
reason
you never know when
the flame of
" friendly fire "
might burn a slumbering brass hat
up close and personal
------
as to rank and file morale in war
vide
evans carlson
---the father of marine gung ho---
he's a particularly enlightened
advocate of how and why
the grunts
nedd to fight
with a clear and present purpose
the "small fraction"
shouldering the blood and guts side
of the burdens
of imperial police actions
will never have anything beyond
their band apart elan
Posted by op | December 28, 2007 10:21 PM
Posted on December 28, 2007 22:21