487 IV Re: OT/PT Encouraging Sanity. NO NUKES FOR DICK << Prev Next >>
by: ColonelZen	IP: 46.29	rated: 0-0	posted: 2007-09-08 22:00:17
Msg: 41086 of 41628 9/3/2007 11:17:11 PM Recs: 4 Sentiment: Not Disclosed   By: ColonelZen Send PM Profile Ignore Add To Favorites   Posted as a reply to msg 41084 by bystander1313   Re: OT/PT Encouraging Sanity. NO NUKES FOR DICK     I hadn't run across that bit of history before. Thanks.     As for Bush borrowing Nixonian strategies, the article mentions that other than putting us on the edge of global destruction it had no effect on the "target audience".     Otherwise Nixon's strategies in Vietnam didn't really pan out very well. I don't really recall our retreat from Vietnam being one of the great moments of American history. To be sure at the time the relief in this country was overwhelming, but within a few years the real picture of our ignominy became clear.     The irony is that I remember quite well that when Iraq started **MANY** voices were asking if this would turn out to be another Vietnam. The answer looks pretty obvious now, doesn't it?     The best answer - and not very good - would be to announce that in six months, expecting to take 30/60/90 whatever days we intend to leave Iraq, after which time as soon as some civil government (WHOMEVER IT MAY BE) which appears capable of maintaining civil order presents itself (and it may be different in different parts of Iraq) we will work with them provide humanitarian assistance and material (non-military) aide to rebuild their infrastructure.     Catastrophic to the civil population? Yep.   Likely to spawn a prolonged and bloody civil war? Yep.   Our fault? Yep.     But can we do better? I'd love to see how. Certainly not by continued sabre rattling, and as I see it the longer we surpress the antagonists in the region the longer and deeper their hostilities to each other will grow - to say nothing of their hatred for us.     -- TWZ