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Larry Gatlin recently wrote an open letter to the President in which he indicated that we are in the middle of WWIII and need to rally the American people behind a fight that isn't done yet.
As we begin reductions of our forces and a transition to a 2025 vision of the military, are we being presumptuous that the war is over? Are the American people unable to stomach more war? Or do we need to go back and finish the fight?
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/09/03/open-letter-to-barack-obama-world-war-iii-is-here/
As we begin reductions of our forces and a transition to a 2025 vision of the military, are we being presumptuous that the war is over? Are the American people unable to stomach more war? Or do we need to go back and finish the fight?
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/09/03/open-letter-to-barack-obama-world-war-iii-is-here/
Posted in these groups: 
WWIII
WWIII
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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I agree with the double edged sword analogy. More war would definitely mean broken promises, and dragging it out with ROE that prevents meaningful, decisive victory is just more of the same.
At the same time, when people have given me the "it's not our fight" argument, I've always responded by saying "would you walk by a woman being raped or beaten in the street and do nothing?" I suppose you could argue that it's not the same thing, but in my view, it is the same thing.
Once we entered it, I believe that the only real conclusion is to finish it.
At the same time, when people have given me the "it's not our fight" argument, I've always responded by saying "would you walk by a woman being raped or beaten in the street and do nothing?" I suppose you could argue that it's not the same thing, but in my view, it is the same thing.
Once we entered it, I believe that the only real conclusion is to finish it.
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Deep breath. This is not a clear cut, "Crush their skulls and we win" type situation. None of this is. If it were we would have troops in Africa fighting against Boko Haram and his atrocities, along with the Middle East. We would be deployed all over the world to stop the senseless slaughter of Innocents.
But this is a political field, and we must assume that the countries these atrocities are taking place are responding in the best means available. Iraq is slowly capturing its once held cities. Jordanians are fighting ISIS and so are Kurds. There are many factions involved.
By the way, I am sorry for the 2 journalists mentioned in the letter and it is tragic, but let me put it this way. In the 5 minutes that i have typed this, more Americans died in Car Crashes caused by Cell phones then that have died against ISIS this last month. Should we have a war on cell phones?
I am against everything ISIS stands for. I would love for us to mobilize and drop into that region and wipe the floor with them. But while this is a physical manifestation of ISIS. We also have to win the Ideological war with them too. How do you go to war with an Idea?
There is no ready made answers to this. It is fortunate that the US has authorized bombing in the area and even this risked political backlash. Getting involved in Syria would send a message to those who hate us that they are right and the US is there as an Imperial power to push and Influence us. This would only stoke their Ideology. Again how do you fight an idea?
But this is a political field, and we must assume that the countries these atrocities are taking place are responding in the best means available. Iraq is slowly capturing its once held cities. Jordanians are fighting ISIS and so are Kurds. There are many factions involved.
By the way, I am sorry for the 2 journalists mentioned in the letter and it is tragic, but let me put it this way. In the 5 minutes that i have typed this, more Americans died in Car Crashes caused by Cell phones then that have died against ISIS this last month. Should we have a war on cell phones?
I am against everything ISIS stands for. I would love for us to mobilize and drop into that region and wipe the floor with them. But while this is a physical manifestation of ISIS. We also have to win the Ideological war with them too. How do you go to war with an Idea?
There is no ready made answers to this. It is fortunate that the US has authorized bombing in the area and even this risked political backlash. Getting involved in Syria would send a message to those who hate us that they are right and the US is there as an Imperial power to push and Influence us. This would only stoke their Ideology. Again how do you fight an idea?
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Cpl Jeff N.
Radical islamists are grown in the mosques in every corner of the middle east (and other parts). It is a fair question, "how do you fight an idea." The reality of that question is something we are unwilling to do mostly because of international fall out and domestic political fall out.
Stopping the idea, which must be done if people are to live peacefully in the region and here, must be two fold. We must take out the current generation of radicals on a battlefield somewhere. With our allies or without but I suspect many see the existential threat to them.
The second fold is where it gets a little harder. You have to go after the idea machines in those regions. The radical imams and mosques. You have to be willing to stop the next generation of radicals from being grown. We see the radical islamists take children at very young ages and radicalize them. The mosques are the nurseries of the idea. It is unsavory and difficult but no more difficult than making the decision during WWII to drop incendiary bombs on Japanese cities or bombing German cities into oblivion.
The bigger question, I think, is do we have the stomach to end this now or do we wait until the threat begins to overtake the world and it is significantly more difficult to do.
Stopping the idea, which must be done if people are to live peacefully in the region and here, must be two fold. We must take out the current generation of radicals on a battlefield somewhere. With our allies or without but I suspect many see the existential threat to them.
The second fold is where it gets a little harder. You have to go after the idea machines in those regions. The radical imams and mosques. You have to be willing to stop the next generation of radicals from being grown. We see the radical islamists take children at very young ages and radicalize them. The mosques are the nurseries of the idea. It is unsavory and difficult but no more difficult than making the decision during WWII to drop incendiary bombs on Japanese cities or bombing German cities into oblivion.
The bigger question, I think, is do we have the stomach to end this now or do we wait until the threat begins to overtake the world and it is significantly more difficult to do.
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MSgt Robert Pellam
Cpl Jeff N.
Interesting. Go after them. I would like that. Fair fight, one on one.
But you know none of it will happen. Not because any lack the want, but its because the enemy won't meet us on the battlefield. They hide with in city centers and desert outposts. They use terror to attack and then pretend it was the populace that told them to do it. If it wasn't for ISIS there would be Al-Queda or someone else.
And taking out mosques? You are talking Fear, not freedom. You are claiming the cure is what the enemy preaches, Extinction of a religious sect. Extermination.
I know fear wont work. Its written in History that those have tried have failed.
Example. Ever heard of the terrorist group called "The Sons of Liberty?" They attacked agents of the government in a colony. they attacked the military and government officials claiming they were doing the will of the people. Problem is about 80% of the people thought they were nuts and everything was fine. Here is the Kicker. The Government sent in troops to quell the uprising. March 5, 1770, Protestors against the Governments policies gather in Boston. The British soldiers tired of threats fired into the crowd killing 5 people. While this is not the cause of the American Revolution, this is the spark that ignites the idea of a Freedom from England. We know what happens as that Idea manifests. We are living proof that Ideas cant be put down with force.
Fear, violence are not ways to handle an idea. It only stokes the flames and makes it stronger. Even if we could enter the minds of every human somehow and wipe out Radical Islam that way, Countries would rise against us as we are exterminators, not liberators.
Interesting idea, I pray we never go down that road as then we are doing the works of our enemy, and are no better then they
Interesting. Go after them. I would like that. Fair fight, one on one.
But you know none of it will happen. Not because any lack the want, but its because the enemy won't meet us on the battlefield. They hide with in city centers and desert outposts. They use terror to attack and then pretend it was the populace that told them to do it. If it wasn't for ISIS there would be Al-Queda or someone else.
And taking out mosques? You are talking Fear, not freedom. You are claiming the cure is what the enemy preaches, Extinction of a religious sect. Extermination.
I know fear wont work. Its written in History that those have tried have failed.
Example. Ever heard of the terrorist group called "The Sons of Liberty?" They attacked agents of the government in a colony. they attacked the military and government officials claiming they were doing the will of the people. Problem is about 80% of the people thought they were nuts and everything was fine. Here is the Kicker. The Government sent in troops to quell the uprising. March 5, 1770, Protestors against the Governments policies gather in Boston. The British soldiers tired of threats fired into the crowd killing 5 people. While this is not the cause of the American Revolution, this is the spark that ignites the idea of a Freedom from England. We know what happens as that Idea manifests. We are living proof that Ideas cant be put down with force.
Fear, violence are not ways to handle an idea. It only stokes the flames and makes it stronger. Even if we could enter the minds of every human somehow and wipe out Radical Islam that way, Countries would rise against us as we are exterminators, not liberators.
Interesting idea, I pray we never go down that road as then we are doing the works of our enemy, and are no better then they
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Cpl Jeff N.
MSgt Robert Pellam. I am not suggesting we eliminate islam (or take out their mosques or their way of life but we must be willing to take out the radical imams that preach the hate, murder and strife resident in radical islam. Killing AQ or ISIS or Boko Haram or any other breed of radicals on the battlefield without addressing the origin of the hate and discontent will not get us the result we want. We will only have to go back later.
We've tried to nation build without addressing the radicals. Look what we have now in Iraq, Libya, Yemen, north Africa and perhaps soon Afghanistan.
Leadership in a nation state is not the same thing leadership in an insurgency. The leadership in a nation state is a hierarchy that can be isolated and more easily dealt with. An insurgency is like a web. There is not a single head only branches and arms.
I will assume you are being sarcastic about the Sons of Liberty being terrorists.
So your solution, if ideas cannot be put down with force is what? Allow it to grow into a larger and larger threat until we are confronted with an enemy on our shores? Bad ideas can be put down. I would submit the idea of our founders was freedom and liberty from tyranny. The idea of radical islam is slavery to a false religions dogma coupled with tyranny and brutality beyond most peoples willingness to accept. I think most in the region fear the radicals but have little hope in dealing with them.
If that idea is unconquerable we are all in trouble as they plan to export it to us the first chance they get.
We've tried to nation build without addressing the radicals. Look what we have now in Iraq, Libya, Yemen, north Africa and perhaps soon Afghanistan.
Leadership in a nation state is not the same thing leadership in an insurgency. The leadership in a nation state is a hierarchy that can be isolated and more easily dealt with. An insurgency is like a web. There is not a single head only branches and arms.
I will assume you are being sarcastic about the Sons of Liberty being terrorists.
So your solution, if ideas cannot be put down with force is what? Allow it to grow into a larger and larger threat until we are confronted with an enemy on our shores? Bad ideas can be put down. I would submit the idea of our founders was freedom and liberty from tyranny. The idea of radical islam is slavery to a false religions dogma coupled with tyranny and brutality beyond most peoples willingness to accept. I think most in the region fear the radicals but have little hope in dealing with them.
If that idea is unconquerable we are all in trouble as they plan to export it to us the first chance they get.
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MSgt Robert Pellam
Cpl Jeff N.
First I was not being Sarcastic about the "Sons Of Liberty" Just trying to show that one mans freedom fighter is another mans Terrorist. The Son's of Liberty were called, "Sons of Violence" and "Sons of Iniquity" by the British Crown as an attempt to deface them. To the British Crown they were terrorists.
The I would never suggest doing nothing against any of these radicals. I think I mistook your argument as a "Kill them all and Let God sort them out" Argument when it wasn't. For that I apologize.
My thoughts and hopes would be to win the minds of the masses. That is how best you defeat an idea. If a man raises a Sword against a Family you stand in its path with a shield. All those who profess Violence we should be there to stop, with violence if necessary. After that, education is the next most powerful weapon. See how the Taliban Feared education, that one girl stood against them is more powerful then 1000 guns. That is where we strike, we educate them, or let them educate themselves. Flood the area with educated youth and watch them turn against the hate mongers that spout their venom. Then we give the educated a way to defend themselves. And watch the revolution. That is my thoughts on it.
We as a nation with all our might, can not fight a battle their own people are unwilling to do. We must make them willing and give them the means with guns, and with ideas.
I think that is what you were saying. I think we are both looking down the right path, except I am color blind and that darn green tree looked red. I apologize again, excellent reply.
First I was not being Sarcastic about the "Sons Of Liberty" Just trying to show that one mans freedom fighter is another mans Terrorist. The Son's of Liberty were called, "Sons of Violence" and "Sons of Iniquity" by the British Crown as an attempt to deface them. To the British Crown they were terrorists.
The I would never suggest doing nothing against any of these radicals. I think I mistook your argument as a "Kill them all and Let God sort them out" Argument when it wasn't. For that I apologize.
My thoughts and hopes would be to win the minds of the masses. That is how best you defeat an idea. If a man raises a Sword against a Family you stand in its path with a shield. All those who profess Violence we should be there to stop, with violence if necessary. After that, education is the next most powerful weapon. See how the Taliban Feared education, that one girl stood against them is more powerful then 1000 guns. That is where we strike, we educate them, or let them educate themselves. Flood the area with educated youth and watch them turn against the hate mongers that spout their venom. Then we give the educated a way to defend themselves. And watch the revolution. That is my thoughts on it.
We as a nation with all our might, can not fight a battle their own people are unwilling to do. We must make them willing and give them the means with guns, and with ideas.
I think that is what you were saying. I think we are both looking down the right path, except I am color blind and that darn green tree looked red. I apologize again, excellent reply.
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