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December 13th, 2006
The Ten Commandments of Iraq
Posted by
Insurgent in
Posts from Prison
Inspired by The Ten Commandments of Vietnam which were found in the pocket of Martin Luther King Jr. after his assassination and read by Coretta Scott King on April 27, 1968.
- Thou shalt not believe in a military victory.
- Thou shalt not believe in a political victory.
- Thou shalt not believe that the Iraqis love us.
- Thou shalt not believe that the Iraqi government has the support of its people.
- Thou shalt not believe that the majority of Iraqis look upon the Islamic clerics as terrorists.
- Thou shalt not believe that figures of killed Iraqis compare to dead Americans.
- Thou shalt not believe the the generals know best, unless they are retired.
- Thou shalt not believe that the enemies’ victory means terrorism.
- Thou shalt not believe that the world supports the United States.
- Thou shalt not kill.
There are good points in the commandments. I would like to supplement them with some information:
I am a 2 tour Vietnam Veteran who recently retired after 36 years of working in the Defense Industrial Complex on many of the weapons systems being used by our forces as we speak.
If you are interested in a view of the inside of the Pentagon procurement process from Vietnam to Iraq please check the posting at my blog entitled, “Odyssey of Armements”
http://www.rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com
The Pentagon is a giant,incredibly complex establishment,budgeted in excess of $500B per year. The Rumsfelds, the Adminisitrations and the Congressmen come and go but the real machinery of policy and procurement keeps grinding away, presenting the politicos who arrive with detail and alternatives slanted to perpetuate itself.
How can any newcomer, be he a President, a Congressman or even the Sec. Def. to be – Mr. Gates- understand such complexity, particulary if heretofore he has not had the clearance to get the full details?
Answer- he can’t. Therefor he accepts the alternatives provided by the career establishment that never goes away and he hopes he makes the right choices. Or he is influenced by a lobbyist or two representing companies in his district or special interest groups.
From a practical standpoint, policy and war decisions are made far below the levels of the talking heads who take the heat or the credit for the results.
This situation is unfortunate but it is ablsolute fact. Take it from one who has been to war and worked in the establishment.
This giant policy making and war machine will eventually come apart and have to be put back together to operate smaller, leaner and on less fuel. But that won’t happen unitil it hits a brick wall at high speed.
We will then have to run a Volkswagon instead of a Caddy and get along somehow. We better start practicing now and get off our high horse. Our golden aura in the world is beginning to dull from arrogance.
Ken, what a great post and something I would never have thought about, but it makes perfect sense. Like all beaurocracies, like a snowball rolling down hill, it’s easier to start them than stop them.
Liz
Check out the Revised Ten Commandments!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/332267223_6a47610477_o.gif
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