Peace is built on peace. Civil society is built by civilians, not soldiers. Pacification will not work in Iraq anymore than it has anywhere else. We are building a military society in Iraq, this is our biggest mistake. AQI lost Anbar, not because their military failed, but because it was the only thing they used. AQI took a military only approach. Learn from their failure. We do not need to replicate al-Qa’idah’s mistake. Misdirected effort is a failure, no matter how glossy the charts. The only thing that defines military success is that the military is no longer needed! Military action means failure. It will always be flawed, produce added failures to civilian society. Bailing the boat, isn’t sailing the boat. If this ship will sink without us, means that it is sinking with us. It is sinking us, no matter how close to shore the captain says we are.

the surge worked, is working: means we must stay

the surge didn’t work, will not work: means we must stay, even do more

Calculus only a dentist would understand. time to spit.