Let’s see about ’savage ironies’
by Will, 21 November 2007
Have read this earlier today.
Nothing is for certain in any war — as the savage ironies of Iraq have shown the last four years. Few envisioned the initial brilliant three-week war, and the utter and rapid defeat of Saddam. Fewer foresaw the ensuing bloody four-year occupation. And the fewest of all anticipated that out of that mess, the present chance at stability and a real reconciliation under a constitutional framework could come.
The lessons are only the eternal ones: that wars won’t be fought as believed and won’t end as planned, but that adaptability, self-critique, and persistence, in an effort believed to be both right and necessary, will eventually prevail.
And this — a bit more pessimistic — probably characterised as sceptical optimism…
Both worth your time.
Thursday 22 November 2007 at 0:58
“It was as if the British had landed at Mobile in 1859, declared slavery over, and expected the Southern white population to join in such a foreign-inspired multi-racial reconstruction.
“Yet four years later, the Sunni insurgency is largely over — but largely over only because it has been defeated by the U.S. military.”
Good one.
Thursday 22 November 2007 at 6:12
The British and the US muddled through to victory in most of their wars. So there’s nothing new or surprising about the ups and downs of their Iraqi campaign.