tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601639312234106733.post4352183790576802417..comments2023-11-10T22:27:47.359-05:00Comments on Eye on a Crazy Planet: Terrorists Take Advantage of Military Adherence to Laws of Armed ConflictRichard Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239826441964023625noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601639312234106733.post-77153834585672344482016-02-03T13:44:38.058-05:002016-02-03T13:44:38.058-05:00Well, yeah. That's how asymmetrical warfare ha...Well, yeah. That's how asymmetrical warfare has worked since about the dawn of time. When faced with a superior conventional force, one tends to fight unconventionally. Go figure. <br /><br />About eight months ago, the head of the National War College was on Charlie Rose, where he said something that's stuck with me ever since. "There are two ways to fight the United States, asymmetrically and stupidly." <br /><br />Guerrilla wars have always been much more political than military. If you can't secure and gain the support of the affected population, you can - as Ted Cruz stupidly and incorrectly puts it - "carpet bomb" until the end of time and you'll still lose. <br /><br />Look at Vietnam. The scorecard there was 58,000 dead Americans to 2 million dead Vietnamese. More bombs were dropped in that "police action" than in all theaters of World War II combined. On paper, that should count as an easy win for the U.S but for the fact that wars aren't decided on paper. <br /><br />Off of the top of my head, I'm not aware of a single insurgency that's ever been defeated by air power alone. Not one. <br /><br />ISIS knows that, but we don't seem to. Therefore, we're probably going to lose AND suffer more domestic terrorist attacks for our trouble. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02269077914921491721noreply@blogger.com