Changing Opinions

"What about the future assessment concerning that fateful moment in 1991? It is conceivable that should Iraq’s present democracy stabilize, American casualties cease, and reform spread to the wider Middle East, public opinion will shift once more. Then the second war of 2003 will be once again seen as the proper closure for the flawed end of the first on February 28, 1991." ©2007 Victor Davis Hanson

Mr. Hanson is correct. It would be wonderful if the Middle East would become democratic and peaceful. And yes, we do change our opinions.

When I was a kid attending Southern Baptist tent revival meetings I formed opinions about preachers and whores. A few years later those opinions were changed when in the arms of Asians whores in some far off land, I was comforted from homesickness and other tribulations of a young man. If I live as long as Methuselah did I suspect my opinions will change many more times.

I believe Mr. Hanson advocates a more forceful policy in Iraq, similar to the force used against Germany and Japan. I think there are some differences in the war in Iraq and the war with Japan and Germany.

Both Japan and Germany had been at war for many years. Their bloodletting had claimed a generation of young men. There was no one left to carry on the fighting. Both countries had a homogenous race and religion. All their assets had been destroyed so there was nothing left to fight for, like trillions of dollars in oil! Japan's Emperor told his people to cooperate so he would not be tried as a war criminal and hung. (Better to live in the splendor of the Imperial Palace than to be hung). What Iraq needs is an Emperor to tell the Sunnis and Shias to stop fighting and get along. They will, after they get tired of the bloodletting, just like the Catholics and Protestants who, after centuries of killing each other, decided to get along.

If after Japan and Germany surrendered, what would have happened if "insurgents" had continued to fight? What would have happened after the surrender of Appomattox if Robert E Lee had told his men to carry on a guerilla war instead of going home and stop fighting?

The only successful defeat of a military insurgency that I remember reading about is the Boer war. The Brits finally defeated the Boers but many Boers continued fighting using guerilla tactics. The Brits finally put the guerilla's support, women and children, into concentration camps that were inhumane. Today the world would label this genocide and inhumane. The men stopped fighting. http://www.boer.co.za/boerwar/hellkamp.htm

We could put all the Iraq women and children in one area of Iraq and the men in another area. The fighting would stop. A Greek comedy by Aristophanes, "Lysistrata", where the heroine leads a successful 'sex strike' forcing the men of Athens and Sparta to abandon a senseless war shows men fight for women. If in a bar fight where two men are fighting over a woman and the rules were that the loser gets the girl, the bar fight would be over before it started. "I give up. You win!"

If the Arab/Muslim world every united into one alliance instead of killing each other they could use their oil revenues to build a modern navy and air force. That would really be a threat to Israel and the west. As long as they are killing each other they are less of a threat to Israel and the West.

P. S.

"We're the Congress. Let's work together for the American people. Take a deep breath, Mr. President." Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House. March 28, 2007

More women than one have said to me, "Bilbo, take a deep breath". It must be something in the female gene that makes them say this to men.

Bilbo Baggins