Those That Don't Study History Are Doomed To Repeat It

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Those That Don't Study History Are Doomed To Repeat It

By Tracey Stevens
Feb. 23, 2006

There is a saying that goes something like those that don’t study history are doomed to repeat it. I don’t recall who said it or if that is the exact quote however it certainly seems to be worth remembering. Roughly 40 years ago, we got involved in a small out of the way country, Vietnam. We quickly found out that North Vietnam wasn’t interested in a large scale decisive battle, figuring that would be a quick way to lose and turned it into a gorilla war. The tactics were simple enough for the most part, hit and run being one of them, do your damage then run away someplace safe and regroup. There were also the tactics of forcing the non-combatants into the fray by threats. These threats were essentially either help us and maybe the Americans will kill you or don’t help us and we will definatly kill you sort. I realize that is a broad way of looking at it but I don’t want to get into small unit tactics discussion. Basically, the enemy was no-where and everywhere.

40 years later it would appear that we are in the same situation. It was shocking that our administration seemed “surprised” at the way the war initially went, Almost as if they expected the Iraqi army to “draw a line in the sand” and fight an all our war there. I don’t know how many of our military leaders actually expected that to happen. The insurgents are blowing up bombs against both U.S targets and whoever decided to join the local police and army forces and the general population at large. You have factions sniping at each other especially with the latest of someone destroying a mosque. This of course, was blamed on Israel, who seems to be responsible for every ill up too and including sunspot activity. This was done at a time when a lot of the Muslim population was in an uproar over the Danish cartoon. How long are the demonstrations going to stay peaceful and could you expect them too if some other faction explodes a bomb during a demonstration. Once again, our military is fighting an enemy that is no where to be found and everywhere they look.

Then we have more bad weather over the horizon other then the fact that it would appear that our military is sitting on a powder keg while playing with matches. Initially, we went into Iraq because they were supposedly developing weapons of mass destruction. Oh look, so Is Iran. Then they weren’t playing nice with the United Nations inspectors. Hhmm, now, Iran is now not going to cooperate with said inspectors. Iraq had links to terrorist groups and now we have claims that so does Iran. It would certainly appear that Iran is further along with its nuclear program then Iraq ever was and pretty much as defiant.

So, what is the situation in the Middle East as far as the United States is concerned? If we pull out then it looks as if we don’t have the resolve to finish what we started. Then again, it would appear if Iran is up to the same things we’ve accused Iraq of doing so do we invade them also? If we invade Iran, are we resolved or bullies? If we don’t invade Iran, was Iraq a result of faulty intelligence or personal? It would certainly seem that Iran is every bit the threat to peace that President Bush claimed Iraq was. How about North Korea?

Sir Walter Scott “oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

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Email Tracey Stevens: phoque62@hotmail.com

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