Apr 2, 2011
Lucy van Pelt Has a Football...
War is the one thing on earth that's always brand new every single time, just as if no one had ever done it before. Here's Kevin Drum, blogging about Obama's kinetic military humanitarian not-war at Mother Jones:
"As usual, Obama's reasons for intervening seem sober, grounded, and judicious. It's a limited operation. It was in response to an imminent massacre in Benghazi. It had the support of the Arab League and the UN Security Council. European allies took the lead in pressing for action, even if the U.S. has subsequently provided most of the actual firepower. It's not Vietnam 2.0. It's not Iraq 2.0."
For the United States, it's a limited operation undertaken in support of European allies. Therefore, it's not like Vietnam. Because this is a use of military power undertaken on the premise that its purpose is to help, rather than to conquer, it's nothing like Iraq.
What could go wrong? After all, what war has ever begun as a limited operation, with opening justifications that seemed sober and judicious? It's never happened, folks. This is all brand new.
"As usual, Obama's reasons for intervening seem sober, grounded, and judicious. It's a limited operation. It was in response to an imminent massacre in Benghazi. It had the support of the Arab League and the UN Security Council. European allies took the lead in pressing for action, even if the U.S. has subsequently provided most of the actual firepower. It's not Vietnam 2.0. It's not Iraq 2.0."
For the United States, it's a limited operation undertaken in support of European allies. Therefore, it's not like Vietnam. Because this is a use of military power undertaken on the premise that its purpose is to help, rather than to conquer, it's nothing like Iraq.
What could go wrong? After all, what war has ever begun as a limited operation, with opening justifications that seemed sober and judicious? It's never happened, folks. This is all brand new.