Monday, January 07, 2002
A BIG LIE
Consider just one of the many lies at the heart of this war: “The terrorists are evil because they intentionally target civilians. We only kill civilians as ‘collateral damage.’” Oh, yeah? Then why did we destroy entire cities in World War II? Why did we bomb dikes in North Vietnam that held back the flood waters? Why did we train and equip terrorist armies to attack civilians in Vietnam, Laos, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and a host of other countries?
The answer comes from the most famous of all military theorists, Clausewitz. He said that the purpose of modern warfare is to break the enemy’s will to fight. If attacking their soldiers won’t do it, attack their civilians -- by any means necessary.
-- Ira Chernus
Consider just one of the many lies at the heart of this war: “The terrorists are evil because they intentionally target civilians. We only kill civilians as ‘collateral damage.’” Oh, yeah? Then why did we destroy entire cities in World War II? Why did we bomb dikes in North Vietnam that held back the flood waters? Why did we train and equip terrorist armies to attack civilians in Vietnam, Laos, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and a host of other countries?
The answer comes from the most famous of all military theorists, Clausewitz. He said that the purpose of modern warfare is to break the enemy’s will to fight. If attacking their soldiers won’t do it, attack their civilians -- by any means necessary.
-- Ira Chernus
themassesareasses© on blogger Monday, January 07, 2002 
