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Micheal Steele rewrites very recent history

counterinsurgency is a form of war; simply not the large-scale kinetic kind. the first war we fought was half insurgency, it is part of our heritage, too.

Appeal to tradition does not make it right.
 
It's bad karma to pretend that this is a war the same as a war declared by congress as specified in the constitution. It seems we learned nothing from Viet Nam and an undeclared unconstitutional war.

War is hell, it is not a game.

This is a war declared by Congress through a Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Military Force, it's perfectly Constitutional.
 

aaaaaaand that should close the book on Michael Steeles ride as head of the republican committee. thats the kind of partisan contrarianism that just blows my mind.

On the other hand...there is very little difference between HIS comments and the clowns that endorsed Clintons war against the Serbs based on genocide and then claim genocide wasnt a valid reason to go to Iraq. Or the morions that can see page after page, speech after speech, and qwuote after quote of comments by Clinton and every elected democrat regarding the belief in Iraqs WMD programs, then claim "Bush lied". SO yes...Steele is a harses ass for playing the politics game, especially when American men and women are in harms way...and so are...ahem...
 
Appeal to tradition does not make it right.

no, it simply points out the innaccuracy of your claim. the Founding Fathers were more than familiar with insurgency warfare; and they certainly considered it legitimate - they fought such a campaign, after all.
 
no, it simply points out the innaccuracy of your claim. the Founding Fathers were more than familiar with insurgency warfare; and they certainly considered it legitimate - they fought such a campaign, after all.

You are claiming that appeal to tradition is inaccurate by using redundancy.
 
This is a war declared by Congress through a Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Military Force, it's perfectly Constitutional.

No it is not. Let's try another ten years to find out who is right.:roll:
 
Michael Steele is the biggest moron on the face of the Earth, and as a Republican myself (albeit one who prides himself on reasonableness and logic which is not the staple of a majority of either party) I am ashamed to call him my chairman. I vote we start a petition to fire him and his worthless crew and get some real Republicans with some real ideas to fight some real Democrats with real ideas and actually have a REAL political process.
 
No it is not.

Yes actually it is, the Constitution does not stipulate how the Congress has to declare war. There is no legal, ethical, or substantive difference between a formal declaration of war and an authorization for the use of military force, in both cases it is the Congress which decides when to engage troops in military campaigns.
 
....thereby proving (once again) that Michael Steele is the exact wrong guy to have as the Chairman of the Republican Party at this juncture. from redesigning the offices because they were 'too masculine', to pissing off his own base for no appreciable gain, to making a fool and a tool of himself in public whenever he is given the chance, Steele just isn't what a muscular conservatism needs. that he also happens to be severely incorrect on this issue is but icing on the cake.

Agreed. It was just the Republican Party employing a black for the idea of attracting the black vote.
 
Agreed. It was just the Republican Party employing a black for the idea of attracting the black vote.

Steele was actually a qualified candidate for the job. He had a strong history as a conservative republican in state politics. He just hasnt done a very good job as a 'leader'. This latest response is just a silly, "they are for this, I must therefore speak agin it" partisan comment. Everyone would be MUCH better served if he would have just said "You know...there is no place for partisanship here...we may differ on HOW to fight the war but we support the president in fighting the war" and reserved criticism for the legitimate arguments against spending, the current healthcarte debacle, unemployment, etc.
 
It's bad karma to pretend that this is a war the same as a war declared by congress as specified in the constitution. It seems we learned nothing from Viet Nam and an undeclared unconstitutional war.

War is hell, it is not a game.

That's right. We are still sitting back and allowing our military to be forced to submit to employing crappy, politically motivated tactics, that have been proven not to work. We didn't learn jack from Vietnam.
 
No one wants war, and definitely not those who died during 911.

I think a majority of America wanted war directly after 9/11. I could be wrong. It sure did seem that way though. In hindsight, your opinion may vary.
 
"The art of war" TERRAIN


1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain,
to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground;
(3) temporizing ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous
heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.

2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides
is called accessible.

3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before
the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots,
and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you
will be able to fight with advantage.

4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard
to re-occupy is called entangling.

5. From a position of this sort, if the enemy
is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him.
But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you
fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible,
disaster will ensue.

6. When the position is such that neither side will gain
by making the first move, it is called temporizing ground.

7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy
should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable
not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing
the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has
come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.

8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy
them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await
the advent of the enemy.

9. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass,
do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned,
but only if it is weakly garrisoned.

10. With regard to precipitous heights, if you are
beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the
raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.

11. If the enemy has occupied them before you,
do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.

12. If you are situated at a great distance from
the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal,
it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be
to your disadvantage.

13. These six are the principles connected with Earth.
The general who has attained a responsible post must be
careful to study them.

14. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities,
not arising from natural causes, but from faults
for which the general is responsible. These are:
(1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin;
(5) disorganization; (6) rout.

15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is
hurled against another ten times its size, the result
will be the flight of the former.

16. When the common soldiers are too strong and
their officers too weak, the result is insubordination.
When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers
too weak, the result is collapse.

17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate,
and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account
from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief
can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight,
the result is ruin.

18. When the general is weak and without authority;
when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there
are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men,
and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner,
the result is utter disorganization.

19. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's
strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one,
or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one,
and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank,
the result must be rout.

20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must
be carefully noted by the general who has attained
a responsible post.

21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's
best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary,
of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly
calculating difficulties, dangers and distances,
constitutes the test of a great general.

22. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts
his knowledge into practice, will win his battles.
He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely
be defeated.

23. If fighting is sure to result in victory,
then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it;
if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not
fight even at the ruler's bidding.

24. The general who advances without coveting fame
and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only
thought is to protect his country and do good service
for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they
will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them
as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you
even unto death.

26. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make
your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce
your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder:
then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children;
they are useless for any practical purpose.

27. If we know that our own men are in a condition
to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open
to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

28. If we know that the enemy is open to attack,
but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition
to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

29. If we know that the enemy is open to attack,
and also know that our men are in a condition to attack,
but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes
fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway
towards victory.

30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion,
is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never
at a loss.

31. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and
know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt;
if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your
victory complete.








Sun Tzu said
 
1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground:
(1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground;
(4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways;
(6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground;
(9) desperate ground.

2. When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory,
it is dispersive ground.

3. When he has penetrated into hostile territory,
but to no great distance, it is facile ground.

4. Ground the possession of which imports great
advantage to either side, is contentious ground.

5. Ground on which each side has liberty of movement
is open ground.

6. Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states,
so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire
at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways.

7. When an army has penetrated into the heart of a
hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities
in its rear, it is serious ground.

8. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens--all
country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.

9. Ground which is reached through narrow gorges,
and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths,
so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush
a large body of our men: this is hemmed in ground.

10. Ground on which we can only be saved from
destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.

11. On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not.
On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground,
attack not.

12. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way.
On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands
with your allies.

13. On serious ground, gather in plunder.
In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.

14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem.
On desperate ground, fight.

15. Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew
how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear;
to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions;
to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad,
the officers from rallying their men.

16. When the enemy's men were united, they managed
to keep them in disorder.

17. When it was to their advantage, they made
a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.

18. If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy
in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack,
I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your
opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."

19. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of
the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes,
and attack unguarded spots.

20. The following are the principles to be observed
by an invading force: The further you penetrate into
a country, the greater will be the solidarity of your troops,
and thus the defenders will not prevail against you.
 
The tactics we also used against the British as well. It's even easier to face an opponent that wildly blows their horns and smacks their drums through a forest, then lining up in formations while getting ambushed.
 
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