>Hitch's gloating shifts focus from his subject to his sodden >self,
perhaps
>intentionally. But on the subject front, he is mostly right. >What
>has happened so far has been good. People can't bear the
>thought that it is due to the U.S. Gov (and even worse, >trust-fund
>baby Bush; worse still, for bad motives!), since it explodes >their
>understanding of the world. If you don't like Taliban symps
>being shot in the street, go watch the film footage of >Taliban
>clubbing women who flash some ankle.
But it isn't all that good, is it? For one thing, it isn't the USA which is in charge on the ground; it's a bunch of gangsters whose own record when it comes to dealing with women is hardly wonderful. For another,
It appears to me that what has happened follows a pattern of US Government policy which has been repeated so often in Iraq, the Balkans, Africa and now Afghanistan that I cannot bring myself to believe that it is not following some sort of strategic manual:
1. Set out with a cause (usually but not necessarily an unambiguously good cause like protect the Kosovans, stop the massacres, destroy terrorism) but no specific war aims. 2. If possible, bomb, bomb and bomb again. Cause massive destruction with no risk to American troops. Take as much care as possible to minimise civilian casualties. If bombing is logistically impractical, put together a UN force and wander around waving guns nervously. 3. Repeat step 2 until a high-profile success or rout of some opposing force is achieved. Declare this to be a victory. 4. Get the hell out, leaving the situation in the theatre of war sometimes slightly better, but usually much worse, than it was at the outset.
This makes sense if (and I don't think anyone will seriously disagree with this) your strategic goals are exclusively domestic/political. You win a massive military victory (or something that looks reasonably similar to one), the naysayers and pacifists look like fools (because they thought you had war aims, which would have been unachievable, which is why you didn't). You've destroyed someone like "Saddam, Slobodan, OBL", who everybody hates, therefore you've done good. The shower of crap which remains in the theatre of war can't possibly be your fault because you've *left*, just like the sneering pacifists wanted you to. It's beautiful. Perhaps we can coin a phrase "Clintonian Victory", like a Pyrrhic one except that you don't suffer any casualties but go home anyway.
dd
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