I'm not alone Rand Simberg gives us post:
This is starting to look more and more like World War III started on September 11. Except this time, Europe will sit on the sidelines. And there's a tremendous technological and industrial asymmetry between the good guys and the bad.
He brings up two interesting points:
Europe very likely will sit this one out for as long as possible. It reminds me of a Powers Booth line in the John Milius movie Red Dawn. From memory, "I guess they figured two wars on their territory was enough for one century. They've decided to sit this one out."
Next, he mentioned the technilogicl and industrial gulf between the opposing sides. Most pundits I've read point to this as an assurance that we will easily win. May I remind you of a conflict, similar in nature, between a large industrial power and a smaller, agrarian society. The larger nation was so certain that they would win that picnicers went to watch the opening battle, as it took place just a few miles from their capitol city. Imagine their shock and dismay as they watched the smaller army kick the crap out of their larger, more advanced forces! They underestimated the determination of the smaller force, their will to fight, and to win, regardless of the odds. For three long and bloody years this smaller army threw back and held off the larger army, even invading twice, before finally being weighed down by sheer numbers. They fought with pride, love of their homeland, and a firm conviction that they were on the right side of an ideological struggle that went beyond the blood on the battle field.
Of course, I'm talking about the War Between the States, and there are some striking parallels between the Arabs and the Confederacy. The main difference is that the North had Lincoln, who held firm in the face of rising opposition to the war, insisting that the Suoth be re-united with the North, by the sword if need be. Do we have the same will today? To keep fighting when our enemy refuses to quit, refuses to surrender, attacks with all the ferocity of a true fanatic?
Something to think about...
Posted by Rich at April 8, 2002 9:54 AM