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RE: World war 3
September 20, 2014 at 11:12 pm
(September 17, 2014 at 3:28 pm)Lemonvariable72 Wrote:
Yeah, but you just want to start ww3, which will solve this problem how? There is only one way to end a guerrilla war, and it is not something that any of want, and is vastly complicated by the fact that Pakistan has nukes. You see historically the most effective way to end a guerrilla is heavey handed retributions like leveling a entire city, or gassing a mall. Do you really want to be in that sort of war?
The problem is that if you're unwilling to use the necessary tactics to defeat the guerrillas why even bother to fight them? All you're doing is getting people killed and wounded and destroying stuff while going broke. Simply give them what they want. Then when they have it you will have more leverage against them in a real war.
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RE: World war 3
September 21, 2014 at 12:37 am
(This post was last modified: September 21, 2014 at 12:38 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Why hand an enemy a material advantage if you're already having trouble? Would be the obvious question.
We don't just fight the battles we're sure we can win - and just because we -can- do something militarily doesn't mean that we're willing -or should be willing- to do so. Those drones we love so much could also be filled with biochem, we could just fly them back and forth gassing the shit out of whomever. It would be a bad idea on many fronts - but an exceedingly effective bad idea. "Victory at any cost" is widely frowned upon, though I suppose it's always an option.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: World war 3
September 22, 2014 at 2:38 am
(September 21, 2014 at 12:37 am)Rhythm Wrote: Why hand an enemy a material advantage if you're already having trouble? Would be the obvious question.
We don't just fight the battles we're sure we can win - and just because we -can- do something militarily doesn't mean that we're willing -or should be willing- to do so. Those drones we love so much could also be filled with biochem, we could just fly them back and forth gassing the shit out of whomever. It would be a bad idea on many fronts - but an exceedingly effective bad idea. "Victory at any cost" is widely frowned upon, though I suppose it's always an option.
I'm sure that the hundreds of millions of people who have been slaughtered throughout time wished that their side had won the wars they lost. Only dummies think that losing is better than winning, whatever method is used to win. At least you're alive instead of dead.
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RE: World war 3
September 22, 2014 at 6:58 am
(This post was last modified: September 22, 2014 at 7:17 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Well, there's the notion that in some cases by going down a certain path to "defeat" the enemy you have, effectively, become them. That calls into question whether or not you have "won" in the first place - and why it would even matter that you fought....but, yes, if we approach "winning" and "losing" as a question of living or dying - I think many would prefer life, "at any cost"-even. All of this ignores our ability to think around the opfor - to find a way to "win" that we would not consider an issue of doing -whatever- might work. A decent victory, as opposed to one which would generate shame (though, in the balance of it, whether your enemy agrees that your strategy and tactics were decent and -not- shameful is another matter...lol).
Personally, I like to split the difference. It is the warfighters job to win, whatever the cost...to present even the most terryfying options -as- options. It is the leadership and the societies job to reign in those warfighters and give them direction, limits, rules of engagement. We're placing them in a peculiar situation, not exactly a place where you can sit down and agonize over the nature of the conflict before you assualt the pillbox-their job demands that they at least be willing to do horrible things to the other guy, to act without further review or debate...that's who we want, that's what we encourage, that's whats required.
-Obviously I've had a decade to think about this after the fact. Had you asked me my opinion in my twenties..well...."through the foe, to the objective" and all that jazz.....no further thought required.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: World war 3
September 22, 2014 at 8:21 am
(September 20, 2014 at 6:34 pm)Wyrd of Gawd Wrote: The Arab leaders, excluding the dictators [...]
Not trying to be snarky, but who does that leave? Lebanon, right? Every other government there is a monarchy, a sultanate, or in Egypt's case, and Army-imposed authoritarian organ.
Libya, perhaps, may qualify, but that government is so weak and hamstrung as to be ripe fruit waiting to be plucked.
Sad to say, but the Arab Spring did nothing to advance the plight of the man on the street, it seems to me. Autocrats are still the rule of the day.
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