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March 28, 2003HORSEFEATHERS DOCTRINE: HARRY TRUMAN, EXEMPLARThe Horsefeathers doctrine maintains that nations have interests, not emotions. We will delude ourselves if we expect gratitude from countries like Iraq. Similarly, if we base our military policy on concerns that we be liked and appreciated we will not be as deadly and ruthless as war requires. Iraq is a country with no democratic tradition, ruled by a savage dictator. It is a part of the backward and primitive Arab world; we would be foolish to expect to be greeted as liberators by its people. Relief, no doubt, but gratitude and a wish to emulate our democratic freedoms-- highly unlikely. Iraq has far more in common with fellow primitives in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the other Arab countries, than it does with the GI's who are fighting to liberate it from Saddam. There is a utopian strain to America's Wilsonian ideals; the notion that we are all human and therefore everyone would welcome freedom and democracy. A strain of psychobabbling "empathy" for the plight of the Iraqis obscures the murderous envy and hatred many, many, Iraqis feel towards us.The high minded sentiments that animate us do not easily take hold in a world of Islamo-fascist totalitarianism. Horsefeathers fears that the benign utopian strain in our thinking could hamper our military efforts. The admirable effort to minimize civilian casualties will be viewed as signs we have little stomach for the need to utterly subdue our enemies. Let us hope that we will pursue total victory, unconditional surrender, the utter destruction of our adversary. We would do well to learn from our great twentieth century President, Harry Truman. In his state of the union address in April, 1945, Truman said: "Our demand has been, and it remains-Unconditional Surrender! We will not traffic with the breakers of the peace on the terms of the peace." After dropping the first atomic bomb he commented, "We are now prepared to obliterate more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the Japanese have above ground in any city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, and their communications. Let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan's power to make war." Japan has caused few problems since Truman carried out his threat. Let us hope the demands of political correctness do not prevent our leaders from applying the necessary force to yield 50+ years of peace with the Arab world. Posted at 06:05 PM by
 
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This is EXCELLENT! Expect a link. Great points, spot-on accurate and gutsy too. Way to go!
Posted by: Deb on March 28, 2003 10:38 PMAs an astute observation upon the intellectual turpitude of academia, the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, nails it perfectly with the following...
“When you see the many and manifold institutions for teaching and learning and the great crowd of pupils and masters which throngs them, you might think the human race was much occupied with wisdom and insight. But here too appearance is deceptive. The latter teach to earn money, and strive not for wisdom, but the appearance of it and to be credited with it; the former learn, not to achieve knowledge and insight, but so as to be able to chatter about them and give themselves airs. Every thirty years a new generation appears which knows nothing and then sets out to gulp down summarily and as fast as possible all the human knowledge assembled over the millennia, after which it would like to think it knows more than all the past put together. To this end it resorts to universities and reaches out for books, and for the most recent ones too, as being its own contemporaries and fellows of its own age. Everything quick and everything new, as new as it itself is. And then off it goes, loud with its own opinions!”
Pretty much sums up much of academia and its productive output, at least certainly in the field of the ‘Humanities’
Obviously, not much has changed in over 150 years since those words were written.
Posted by: Just Another Richard on March 30, 2003 12:40 PMIf the above comment makes no sense, that's because it was meant to be posted to the comments section of the post above this one...sorry.
Just Another Richard...makes... just another mistake...in...just another post.
Posted by: Just Another Richard on March 30, 2003 01:21 PMThis is the kind of realistic perspective needed if we are to have any chance of success in establishing liberal government in Iraq. If all Iraqis were free to vote tomorrow, there is an insignificant chance that parties violently hostile to the US would be elected. We need to conquer Iraq first, govern it second, and liberate it third.
Posted by: Peter McNaughton on March 31, 2003 11:43 PMHeh, I meant a significant chance.
Posted by: Peter McNaughton on March 31, 2003 11:44 PM