[lbo-talk] The end of warfare?

lweiger at umich.edu lweiger at umich.edu
Tue Dec 21 12:36:42 PST 2004


Here's one good test to see if the principle objective was economically achieved: would the agent(s) do it again knowing what she/they know(s) now? I think the answer with regard to both Vietnam and Iraq is pretty clearly "no," but this is a speculative enterprise...

-- Luke

Quoting Michael Dawson <MDawson at pdx.edu>:


> What was the central war objective in Vietnam? Iraq?
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
> > On Behalf Of joanna bujes
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 9:04 AM
> > To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> > Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] The end of warfare?
> >
> > No, they wanted to win both times. Viet Nam was a loss and everyone knew
> > it. If it were not a loss, there would have been no syndrome to recover
> > from.
> >
> > Iraq will be a loss too. Not only that, it may take the U.S. economy
> > down with it.
> >
> > Joanna
> >
> > Michael Dawson wrote:
> >
> > >Isn't analysis of objectives the only proper basis for making good sense
> > of
> > >wars? If so, then why talk like Vietnam was a loss for the U.S.? Sure,
> > the
> > >elites would have loved to crush the country and wound up with ticker
> > tape
> > >parades, but it was the crushing of the country that was the more
> > important
> > >of the two aims, by far.
> > >
> > >Similar point about Iraq. The main strategic objective is to perpetuate
> > >irrational, undemocratic, fractious cultural politics in Oilsville.
> > Sure,
> > >the U.S. would love to end up with ticker tape parades and a compliant
> > and
> > >stable puppet regime, but it's the stirring of the pot that's the more
> > >important objective.
> > >
> > >End of warfare, my butt!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >>-----Original Message-----
> > >>From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-
> > talk.org]
> > >>On Behalf Of Carl Remick
> > >>Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 8:04 AM
> > >>To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> > >>Subject: RE: [lbo-talk] The end of warfare?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>From: joanna bujes <jbujes at covad.net>
> > >>>
> > >>>"Against the most heavily armed opponent in the history of War,
> > Fallujah
> > >>>has still not let itself be "taken" to date. The mightiest military
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>machine
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>in history has met its match. A turning point in military affairs? The
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>end
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>of warfare, as practiced by the Americans - the application of
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>overwhelming
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>force to obtain a victory?"
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>I've seen this movie before. However clichéd it may be to compare Iraq
> > to
> > >>Vietnam, the fact is that the US *is* acting out its fantasies of power
> > in
> > >>Iraq in the same way it did in Vietnam, and once again it is getting its
> > >>tuchus handed to it. Unfortunately, the US didn't learn any lesson 30
> > >>years
> > >>ago and doesn't seem likely to learn any this time either. We'll just
> > go
> > >>back to the lab for a few years to figure out more ingenious,
> > spectacular
> > >>and "precise" ways to inflict pain and death, and presto, the US will be
> > >>out
> > >>democratizing the world again through main force better than ever.
> > >>
> > >>Carl
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>___________________________________
> > >>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >___________________________________
> > >http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> > >
> > >.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > ___________________________________
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>
>
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