A "Best of Old War Dogs" featured post. The webmaster is backdating this post to keep it near the top of the blog for a while. Please scroll down for newer posts.

This item was originally posted 2006.08.13.17:40.

Karl's at Lake Tahoe doing his blogging and emailing from a coffee shop with a WiFi hotspot, which limits our troubleshooting on any technical problems he runs into. For some reason, possibly just a temporary hiccup (I'm hoping), TypePad wouldn't let him post this himself.

What Would Our Forefathers Do?

Throughout the chaotic days of the American Revolution, an early blogger, Thomas Paine, a Quaker and a pacifist, distributed a pamphlet entitled Common Sense that stirred the hearts of his countrymen and the roots of the rebellion took hold. Most Americans of recent generations never read about this brilliant thinker and firebrand whose eloquent writings helped overthrow a suppressive government. And fewer people today know how close the insurrection of 1776 came to being thwarted. A few bad turns of the weather, including the lack of favorable winds for British sailing ships, British strategic and tactical missteps, and simple bad decisions on the fields of battle, pure luck, and Acts of Providence allowed a rag-tag rabble of undisciplined colonists defeat one of the most modern and proven military machines in the world, the British Army. George Washington lobbied hard for the job of commander of the colonial army but soon came to lament the day his wish was granted. But, Washington didn’t quit when the situation appeared bleak and elect to ride home to his Virginia estate and the promise of sleeping in a warm bed beside his wife, Martha. Fortunately for us, a grateful nation, he stayed the course and chose to take the advice of his staff. A staff made up of average citizens that shared his limited field experience leading large military forces.

Today, America faces a myriad of critical and dangerous national security issues, including porous borders that have allowed in thousands of illegal immigrants. The solutions to these issues have to be real and effective, not driven by politics. The new U.N. agreement to bridle Hezbollah in Lebanon is flawed; it is very doubtful it can lead to lasting security for Israel. Many believe that Lebanese and U.N. military forces do not have the will or capability to neutralize the Hezbollah threat, a seasoned force nurtured and supplied by Iran. Some authorities feel that the government of Iran unleashed Hezbollah to draw the world’s attention away from their nuclear weapons program. Not before the governments of Iran and their logistic facilitator, Syria, appreciate that negotiations are preferable to hostilities can a lasting peace in the Middle East begin to take hold. 

The threat of Islamic terrorism has been with us for decades. But, when a group of Iranian students held Americans hostage in their embassy in Tehran, our government appeared impotent. It set the stage for the Greek tragedy currently unfolding before our eyes. President Jimmy Carter’s inability to take immediate, resolute action emboldened the militant Iranians and led to the rise of the radical Muslims currently in power in Tehran. Whenever weakness is detected in a system or a government, evil entities try to take advantage. Islamic terrorism directed at the West is a separate and personal issue since America is the prime target. Trying to instill democratic principles into radical Muslim societies is counter-productive. Those involved hate all libertine Western societies and what they represent. The inherent and ongoing potential to create chaos in our midst is more serious than average citizens realize. Our leaders must be proactive before radical Muslims launch a potentially crippling blow against our economy or the seat of national power. Should measures require the loss of some personal freedoms, so be it. Most Americans who love their country understand that the war on terrorism is perhaps the greatest challenge that this nation has ever faced. For those amongst us who wish to turn away and not face this realty, I have no sympathy.

It is doubtful that the hostage debacle in Tehran would have occurred if President Ronald Reagan had been on watch in the White House during those dark days. Just ask Khadafy of Libya. Libya felt Reagan’s wrath after a terrorist bomb in Germany killed Americans. Many years ago I served under a grizzled colonel, the Director of Logistics of the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing. The words of one of his favorite expressions still ring true. “An army of rabbits led by a lion is stronger that an army of lions led by a rabbit.” We need lions not rabbits to lead us in the days to come and take decisive action. What would Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, George Washington or Thomas Jefferson do if they were here?

Don't miss the ad for Karl's book on our sidebar.

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Linking to the latest Beltway Traffic Jam

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 16, 2006 at 12:01 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Bill Faith, Current Affairs, Islamism Delenda Est, Karl Bossi, Remember the Alamo | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Ponsdorf

Good stuff. Wish I could write like that. Welcome aboard.

Posted by: Ponsdorf | Aug 13, 2006 7:53:21 PM

Posted by: The Gray Dog

Welcome aboard Karl. A great summation and analogy of just how easily the balance could be tipped in the wrong direction. You are so right that a little luck often defeats skill. In support of your comments, I would recommend that everyone read 1776 by David McCullough. It wonderfully spells out our history of that time, and goes well beyond the simplistic version taught in schools today.

Posted by: The Gray Dog | Aug 14, 2006 6:42:50 AM

Posted by: Rurik

Welcome Moose. A fine first post. I particularly liked the line about the army of rabbits.

Posted by: Rurik | Aug 14, 2006 2:56:54 PM

Posted by: john

Off to a great start, Karl. You hit the ground running. I just wonder, who is going to be our Lion in Winter, come 2008? I'm drawing a blank on that one.

Posted by: john | Aug 15, 2006 5:33:06 AM

Posted by: 1st Cav

Welcome aboard Karl. A nice piece there. As Rurick has reminded us so often, history often times repeats itself if not studied and taken into account. While reading your article, I couldn't help but remember my experiences in Vietnam. For years having been reluctant to compare any events to Vietnam, I find that there are some analogies and historical references well worth remembering.

You speak of Thomas Paine's Quaker influence and 'Common Sense.' That reminds me of another Quaker, Richard Millhouse Nixon. As history goes, the Democrats; Kennedy, LBJ, and McNamara, are the ones who pretty much set the pace of the Vietnam War. Nixon inherited it from them. For a Quaker, he wasn't afraid to commit to what needed to be done. First was his large push into Cambodia in 1970 to deny the enemy sanctuary. That worked a bit and things seemed to stabilize in Vietnam for quite a long time.

All the previous years of Pacification, Hearts and Minds, CORDS, etc. had pretty much eliminated the Viet Cong. That's why in 1972, the NVA had to launch an all out conventional war with ALL their uniformed NVA Divisions. After much hard fighting and massive air support their drive failed. North Vietnam was beaten and could hardly support what was left of their army. Yet the antiwar groups at the critical time was deliberately working with our enemy to force the U.S. into an unnecessary underdog position at the peace table. Nixon wouldn't stand for it and continued bombing the hell out of North Vietnam and all infiltration routes. Some of the fierciest bombing since WW II. Immediately after the 1972 Easter Offensive and the 1972 'Christmas Bombing,'the Watergate incident came about. It's not only my belief, but many studied historians view, had Nixon been allowed to follow through without all the loud mouth defeatist pressures, the outcome would have been very different.

One more comparison. The book 'A Bright Shinning Lie, John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam,' is a basic history of of the Vietnam war written by Neil Sheehan who I personally consider to be pretty much a traitor. Certainly he was traitorious to Vann, or he would have never included so much of his personal skeletons. That point can be argued by Sheehan til the cows come home, but my take is that it wasn't necessary.

To make the comparison as does the theme of the book, Vann had started off with the winning hearts and minds stratagey in the early 60's, but changed tactics 180 deg when it needed doing to win in 1972. Vann died on June 9, 1972 believing we had won. He deserves a higher held place in history.

The lesson to be remembered is when tactics need changing to win, then we need to do it and do it with strong commitment, force and impact. Now's the time to strike the heart of the problem, to severely cripple Iran and Syria, if not totally annihilate them.

Heck, I can still shoot fairly straight. Like the Marines at the WTC, I know a lot of us old vets would fall back in if necessary. As for the mostly pacifist Quakers, even their true leaders know how to make peace when it's required.

Posted by: 1st Cav | Aug 16, 2006 2:05:19 AM

Posted by: 1st Cav

Almost immediately after commenting above I received this Townhall article. There are many points in this article that parallel what I was trying to convey. IMO, we need to do more than what's recommended by Rich Lowrey.

http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/RichLowry/2006/08/15/bushs_vietnam?page=full&comments=true

Bush's Vietnam?
By Rich Lowry
Tuesday, August 15, 2006

"Because there is one other similarity with Vietnam that should be avoided — the aching sense that not everything was done to win the war. By the end of Vietnam, we had essentially beaten the insurgency and could have helped the South Vietnamese hold off the conventional invasion of the North, if we hadn't given up. In Iraq, too, we have scored some successes against the Sunni insurgency, but the insurgents have managed to create a new and different threat by stoking a budding civil war."

Posted by: 1st Cav | Aug 16, 2006 3:23:03 AM

Posted by: JB

Good to have you on the team Karl. Your book should be a good read also and my copy is on the way. I look forward to your contributions here at OWD and you'll fit in just fine. The thing I really appreciate about this pack is the history lessons and knowledge that is imparted on a daily basis by those of you that have the ability to write with flair conviction. I've had more history lessons from the good folks here than I ever got thru the public school system.
Thank you for your service to our country both past and present and welcome home.

Posted by: JB | Aug 22, 2006 7:25:38 PM