Why assume that the point is what the US decides to do, perhaps the end product of this whole conflict will be its toppling from its perch - at least I hope so. I should never have mentioned body bags as it seems to always conjure up a pretty superficial reading of the Vietnam War. What I mean is that the remaining super-power, if incapable of choosing a wiser path must learn a more material lesson.
It would seem obvious that if the USA cannot grasp that the answer to terrorism lay outside war, then it will learn the same lesson through war.
The joke is that ObL is winning hands down, or at least his strategy is, a lot I think has been learnt by the Iraq experience - they'll keep hitting until the US does send in the troops that has been their strategy all along. Stupidity is its own reward the US had the chance to deflate the whole thing by hitting it diplomatically and reforming foriegn policy - it chose not too, but circumstances are already pressing it in that direction anyhow.
Afghanistan is a country bereft of bombing targets and nothing can hide that fact. It has already become a farce, just as dropping in murder squads will be seen to be (especially if they run as soon as there is decent resistence).
So what is left except to allow things to take their course - the USA must it seems exhaust its imperial legacy. However long it avoids the sensible course it will stumble from one disaster to another - ground war is inevitable, it will come, but too late to help the starving, and it too will be a bloody bungle. History has little time for those who misread its meaning.
Hasten the ground war and you hasten the whole silly process, the super-power will in the end become a state amongst many, by peace if it is wise, by war if it is foolish and by economics regardless of either.
Greg Schofield Perth Australia
--- Message Received --- From: Kelley <kwalker2 at gte.net> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com, lbo-talk at lists.panix.com Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2001 09:04:48 -0500 Subject: Re: Arguments for ground war
At 01:01 PM 11/2/01 +0800, Greg Schofield wrote:
>and the body bags in the west and mass graves of Afghan warriors seems
>like the price that is being demanded for peace by the very cliches which
>started this mess. That is far preferable to the silent deaths of
>innocents that is now underway.
i think you're living in a burrow if you think USers are going to stop supporting a war if body bags come home.
kelley