This is the way to win a war, it must be, it worked so well before.

A review, not what got us here, but what may get us out of here. Our lessons learned. Earned the hard way. Sometimes the only way warriors grow is by scar tissue. Our enemy has been learning, so have we. Have we learned more, are we learning faster, faster than them, faster than before?

Check out what our General on the ground has learned. Let’s check his abilty outside the green zone, the press podium or senate chamber. Look at him as he walks, listening to him as he talks. Will he take the present opportunity, what will he do with it, as presented? The skill of an intelligent leader is being able to, like a skilled marksman, take the shot as and when presented. Avoid no opportunity if you intend to win against an intrenched, durable, self supporting enemy.

petraeous has been able to delay us

A Delay Is Not A Win

what you should recall, not the whole story, just this past year, the year of delay. The general has given the white house and McCain an extra year. This year has given aid and comfort to the Warriors of state, not the Iraqis. this is the year that vindicates the US military. this is the year we can put the blame for Iraq on the Iraqis. Support the troops, blame Iraq.

The general testifies. he speaks with restraint, since he knows that the surge didn’t cause the benefits of anbar, instead the surge tactic is benefiting from anbar and the tribal anger. anger in anbar was amalgamated by swift understanding of our personnel realizing that changes to recuit usage could gain adherents and advocates from the anbar citizens… Changing the battlefield geometry isn’t as grand a phrase as a surge. It means that we have the amount correct, but not their use. The mix is wrong. Too many green zone colonels. Wars may be planned in air-conditioned comfort, they aren’t won there.

After 40 Years

In vietnam, we never accumulated enough loyalty from the people since we were propping up the unelected or the unwanted. In iraq we destroyed a people after toppling a dictator. Remember citizens, “we bombed them into the pre industrial age” in ’91, then rolled into a nation shocked again to find itself on the recieving end of so much 911 hatred. The civilian bystanders of baghdad became collateral targets. Even as we hold all our civilians as innocent bystanders, the Iraqis are unintended consequentials. In an all volunteer war, a self made war, a voluntary war we are quick to claim innocence for our own complient civilians. They only pay the check for the carnage done in and to their name. At least after 40 years we live under Friedman’s umbrella excuse (under the umbrella of the merciless mercenary). Small progress for a grand people.

Iraq is A War we won, a peace we will lose.

You can’t hate a people and free them at the same time.
Hatred and fear are blockages that reduce all other emotions. SPF Infinite reads the label on the bottled hate you bathe in as you undertake a war of revenge and retribution.

The press release reads operation Freedom, but the battle plans read Bring Them Thunder.

one of the tales of this terror

Upon his return, General Petraeus took along the cameras on a success tour. Like a revivalist ready for his worshipers, he toured outside the zone.

Smirk For the Camera

head slightly out from under his carapice, afraid to walk about without his camouflaged helmet, like a turtle on an uncertain walkway. General P discusses the only topics that matter with the only people that should. How Iraqis return to living. Unfortunately the author of our “counter insurgency” manual shows his hand. He wrote nothing. He did not do his homework, someone else must have. The “indigenous personnel” are asking about electricity. Their generator is a piece of crap.

Rather than an answer to the IP’s “what are you…” The general’s retort is one lifted from many small town debaters. The tactic, deflect. So General P responds :

“what are you going to do about it?”

Clever. He learned marketism from our halls of ivy and epolets.
the general has been taught powerpoint and power play but not the power of interest, nor the wisdom of answering, of opportune action. Leaders take the front. Gentlemen, victory lies directly ahead. Defeat is the undrained ditch to your side.

If you had done your lessons, general, you would have known that options are the form freedom takes. Any despot or corporal could have side stepped the question.

A hand up is not a hand out.

Knowing that is the first step toward a handoff.

Peace is what happens without bullets. If we are led by solders so weak that they don’t or won’t take action, then they must be replaced. We deserve better.

The General will soon return to testify. Take the stand to plead his uncredentialed master’s case. He will testify, pressed and pleated, answers camouflaged and conceited. Do we as citizens stand prepared to lose the world to win this war?