Victory, hurray, etc

[Max Sawicky]

. . . 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

Why go looking for this sort of pastime?  The Bushies had all sorts of
other plans.  And some minimal historical perspective would tell them
a military 'victory' does not necessarily translate into lasting political
credit.

mbs