WAPO Op/Ed: Its the loser that decides when the war is over.

[section321]

Great Op/Ed piece in the Washington Post by Richard Hart Sinnreich
. I found the link on Talking Points Memo.

Basically, the author takes the position that its the loser that decides when the war is over, not the victor. Its only when the loser decides they're defeated and stops fighting that a war is acutally over.

Iraq and Afghaistan are still wars because the locals have not agreed that they are not. They will continue to fight and our soldiers will continue to die until we convince them we won or leave.

What a mess.

excerpt:

"It's not war just because both nations are crawling with troops. So are others. Nor is it war just because people continue to die violently. That happens every day in every city in the world. Nor is it war just because some of the victims wear uniforms. That too is not uncommon even in peacetime.

It's war because our undefeated enemies say it is and behave accordingly. "

Here's the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21855-2003Oct26.html

[BlueEyedSon]

1. More

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=18519

[section321]

3. aahh.. i searched first... honest....

:toast:

[Brucey]

2. Hmm. One way to look at it. But semantics...

The US will say the war is over just before the next presidential election. They will drain as much US taxpayer money as they can for Halliburton and other repug corporations, they will set up a puppet government, and then will declare the occupation over. Some troops will come home, but like Afghanistan now, some troops will stay there and continue to meet resistance, but it won't be on the network news, so Americans will ignore it and consider the case closed. Another victory over terrorism. Vote for chimpy. Well, don't you think that's what they're planning?

[asjr]

4. winners/losers

It seems as though in this case the "winners" might turn out to be the "losers." Regardless of what GW says. I don't consider the guerilla attacks to be losing. The man lives in a bubble of arrogance and cluelessness.