I hate it when that happens

[jhetley]

You know, Fearless Leader is right when he says that it's a bad idea to tell the nasties exactly when the only sheriff is leaving town.  Iraq is a mess now.  It will only get worse when we pull out.

Not saying I have an answer.  Just, we broke it, we bought it.  Whether we should have been in the china shop in the first place?  That's a different question.

Enough mixed metaphors for one day.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I guess the real question is whether or not we can help by staying in the china shop? Even the most contrite and well intentioned of bulls will continue to break the remaining china. The bull has to learn to stop being clumsy, and I don't see that happening.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Well, no slight intended to the USMC and Airborne troops, but using assault forces as an occupying army...

[wcg.livejournal.com]

That is indeed a big part of the problem. There used to be Marines with a lot of experience in this sort of thing, back in the 20s and 30s of the last century. There's even a nice little book called The Small Wars Manual that was printed at Quantico which discusses the practical problems of conquering and occupying a 3rd world country. The problem these days is that very few Marines have read it, and I doubt anyone in the other services has.