Quote:
Originally Posted by pshrynk
I am not a peacenik. I believe in the use of military when it is not possible to further our goals diplomatically. I believe that diplomacy is the ultimate way of getting us to where we need to be, but that sometimes it is necessary to give them a good bonking in order to gain their attention.
But let's just be circumspect in why we do what we do. The war in Iraq has wasted so many of our resources that we are not able to get what we really need form all this: security by means of projection of force.
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I'm a peacenik, because I think that if peace is reasonably possible, that it's the path to choose. War is a messy affair, with dead bodies and blown off limbs and sucking chest wounds. Avoid it if you can. I also believe that, if one fights a war, one should plan well and win it. I haven't seen good planning in our "war on terror."
Want to prevent aircraft hijackings? Arm the pilots (this stopped the "skyjjackings" to Cuba in the 70s), teach the pilots defensive maneuvers (remember when a Chinese pilot foiled a hijacking a few years back by rapid maneuvers of the aircraft that broke their necks?), perhaps install a device that would allow the flight crew to depressurize the aircraft during a hijack attempt. Hard to stick your pistol in the pilot's face when you can't breathe. And look at how el Al handles security- they don't care if it isn't politically correct to strip search and anal-probe passenger if he fits a terrorist profile. El Al hasn't had a plane hijacked recently.
Want to defeat terrorists (Taliban/al qaeda) in Afghanistan? Bomb the Hindu Kush with very dirty nuclear devices. When they pop their heads out of their caves and breathe in some radioactive cobalt isotopes, they'll live for a few weeks if they are unlucky. Pump mustard gas into their caves, or sarin, or VX. Mine the area with VX gas bombs. Don't waste troops hunting them on their turf. No one- not the British nor even the Soviets- succeeded with that strategy. Fight to win- not using their rules.
And finally, target the countries that support terror, no matter who they are. Let them understand that they take the beating if terrorist attacks occur, even if they are our "friends" like Saudia Arabia (this nation supports terrorists with a great deal of cash- this is where Osama comes from). Not many people will support these towel-wearing boneheads if they might die by doing so.
Sounds tough, doesn't it? But it would work better than our current protocols. Why did we choose our current approach? Well, it is great for funding of the military and various "alphabet agencies". Doesn't necessarily win the war, though.