Monday, October 6, 2008

The War that can't be Won


The Vancouver Sun's new and much-touted make-over may or may not be the next best thing; time will tell.

But if their two stories on Afghanistan in the new "Canada & World " section is any indication, this change is most welcome.

In the first story, a British general states flatly, "We are Not going to win."

In the second, marking the 7th anniversary of America's military action in the region, analysts insist that we must "stay the course."

2 comments:

MurdocK said...

The war that no-one has ever won.

Afghanistan's plains have drunk deeply of the blood of western civilization.

From Alexander of Macedonia's armies to the British Empress, from the Soviets to NATO these sands are well fertilized.

When the reality of what a march region is:

"In the past, when the reach of lords and kings was weak, and the claims of one or more overlapped at a frontier, something akin to a competitive government existed.

Andorra survives as a kind of fossilized march region between France and Spain..."

Taking a look at the history of such march regions shows that no-one, except those that choose to live in these regions, can ever dominate or control these places.

No one. Ever.

2400+ years of history in Afghanistan continues to stand as proof that no-one can ever dominate or control the region unless they choose to LIVE there.

Therefore, unless we are prepared to move to a 2nd century country with many earthquakes and very poor growing conditions for food, we should never expect any military expedition into the region to do anything but die.

David in North Burnaby BC said...

Murdock nailed it.
Saving people from themselves is a fool's errand. To have wasted lives on it is criminal.