Long Wars Aren't Working

[Valin]

Townhall:

Katie Pavlich

Nov 22, 2014

 

Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the November issue of Townhall Magazine.

 

There is no doubt Americans are war weary, and according to a recent Military Times survey, our soldiers are too. But as the public debate about whether ground troops will be necessary to “degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS” rages on in Washington D.C., at the Pentagon and on television screens across the country, one question isn’t being discussed or answered: Why do our modern wars take so long?

 

(Snip)

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I got this far then my head exploded.

 

The problem IMO is people don't read history...particularly Military History. They don't understand the type of war we are fighting (a world wide guerrilla war) I've got some really really bad news for Katie and the commenters. WWI & WWII were the exception that proves the rule. Most wars are 1. long 2. don't involve most of society (unless an army comes marching through your area). This is doubly true for guerrilla wars, which is what this war is. When will we know its done? Probably 2-3 years after its over.

 

Recommended

 

Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam

John Nagl

 

The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One

David Kilcullen

 

The Savage Wars Of Peace: Small Wars And The Rise Of American Power

Max Boot

 

 

/Rant!!!