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Many good
points here. If I may be so bold to disagree with Napoleon and Patton moral
conviction has very little to do with what is going on… the important factor is
what do you have to loose! A long time a go a group of people in a land far
away came on hard times. They lost their cattle… a drought made life difficult.
Hunger made way for disease and many died. They were weak and beaten and had
lost all hope. At the same time their neighboring nation lived a life of
plenty. They ate on gold plates. They ate plenty… yet they did not lift a
finger to help their neighbors in need. They had grown too arrogant in their
success and had advanced to a level where the poor neighbor was not of
consequence to them. I think you can all see where this story is going… it is a
true story about decadence, arrogance, apathy, injustice and gluttony versus desperation.
The Persians had forgotten the very principle that made them into the greatest
civilization of their time. This had happened before but they were all too
focused on their own lives and ways to maximize their own profit. They had the greatest
army… with warriors with shields with gold inlay. Extravagant and arrogant they
were better equipped and trained. They had much… but because of this they had
much to loose. When the Mongols attacked they had primitive weapons… they were
hungry… many were on foot… but they had nothing to loose! They fought with such
ferocity that even though they were our numbered and out weaponed they became
known as invincible. Armies and people would just run at their advance.
The most
important thing in this kind of war is how much do you have to loose! In the
past several decades we have made sure that most of the people of the Middle
East have nothing to loose. In doing so we have created for ourselves the
greatest adversary we will ever have. Thousands of years later we are the
Persians (I know… I actually am!). The difference is that we still have time to
help these helpless people have a life worth living. We have the opportunity to
learn from the Persians of so long ago and prevent the all out attack of the Mongols!
I wonder if at the time there was a Native American telling the Persians in the
town square what I have been saying to you! J
“Your
brother in arms”
Shahab…
-----Original
Message-----
From: sean
[mailto:o2design@wsu.edu]
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001
11:31 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Commentary
Some of you
may find the following article of interest. I would submit that a good
read on a comparable tactical/moral battle dilemma was captured in the
following text:
The tunnels of Cu Chi / Tom Mangold, John Penycate.
Imprint
The War
> >
> >Here is an interesting piece from Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
> >Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
> >
> >Dear friends and fellow
Americans
14 September, 2001
> >Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last
week's
>attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from
>
>surprise. As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military
history, I
> >have
a
>
>different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war will
be won or
lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or
>
>soldiers. Let me briefly explain. In spite of what the media, and
even our own
government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group
of mentally
deranged fanatics. To dismiss
> >them
as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was
> >committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't
> >take
this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their
>
>tactics, but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have
been
made with the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only
because it
was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also
>
>because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years
after we
think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do
> >with
the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II. These men
> >hate
the United States with all of their being, and we must not
underestimate
the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the world's
greatest
combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is to the
>
>physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman
underestimated its
>
>importance and said moral conviction was five times more important in
>
>battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing - better said
anxious
to give
their lives for their cause. How committed are we America? And
for how long?
In addition
to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent
attack
demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare
>
>taught to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and
>
>surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have
been trained
at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This
> >was
not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of
>
>military competence to be displayed in the battle to come. This war will
>
>escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol'
U.S.
> >of
A. These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear
us. We must
not fear them. In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the
world's
only
"superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this fight.
As you listen
to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for
the march for
war, please realize that America is not equipped or
seriously
trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much
>
>better than the enemy, and we have some excellent
"counter-terrorist"
>
>organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues,
airfield
seizures, or the occasional "body snatch," (which may come in handy).
We will be
fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early
efforts are
any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last
man.
Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have
>
>already deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and are likely
living the
lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked
> >with
a search and destroy mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and
> >the
public must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics
can be worked
out.
For the most
part, our military is still in the process of redefining
>
>itself and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were
promoted
because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics.
This will not
be linear warfare, there will be no clear "centers of
gravity"
to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will
>
>certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the
perfect
metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists
>
>themselves aboard the hijacked aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and
it
will be won
or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and soldiers, not
by
>software or smart bombs. We must also be patient with our military
>
>leaders. Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind
us, our
>
>adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan
to fight a
battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the
>
>American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to
>
>believe in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is
generally
acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight. We need
> >only
look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen
> >Giap
(also a military history teacher) defeated the United States of
>
>America without ever winning a major tactical battle. American
soldiers who
marched to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were
reviled and
spat upon less than three years later when they returned. Although we
> >hope
that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and
employ the
concept. We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent
>
>attacks, but also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics,
ranging
> >from
livestock infestations to attacks at water supplies and power
>
>distribution facilities. These attacks are designed to hit us in our
"comfort
zone"
forcing the average American to "pay more and play less" and
eventually
eroding our resolve. But it can only work if we let it.
It is clear
to me that the will of the American citizenry - you and I
- is the
center of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum
> >upon
which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be soft,
impatient,
and self-centered. He may be right, but if so, we must change. The
Prussian
general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least read
>
>military theorist in history), says that there is a "remarkable
trinity of war
>
>"that is composed of the (1) will of the people, (2) the political
leadership of
the government, and (3) the chance and probability that plays out on
the field of
battle, in that order. Every American citizen was in the
>
>crosshairs of last Tuesday's attack, not just those that were unfortunate
enough
to be in the
World Trade Center or Pentagon. The will of the American
people will
decide this war. If we are to win, it will be because we have what it
> >takes
to persevere through a few more hits, learn from our mistakes,
>
>improvise, and adapt. If we can do that, we will eventually prevail.
>
>Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common
> >frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could
do
> >something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America,
and
>
>continue to support your President and military, and the outcome is
> >certain.
> >If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
> >God
Bless America
--
Thanks,
s
* * * * * * * *
Sean Michael