Jim Morin for September 19, 2014

Like it or not, history teaches us that an air campaign by itself will not defeat an enemy.It didn’t work for Hermann Goering against BritainIt didn’t work for Lee Claire Chennault against JapanIt didn’t work for ‘Bomber’ Harris against GermanyAnd that’s only mentioning the Second World War

Obama is smart enough to be trying to get us out of the entire Middle East . We didn’t “break it in the first place”, as many of those who advocate American participation claim. Middle Eastern society has been broken for longer than the United States has existed. In the history of that region, peace has been a rare situation, always imposed by a government strong enough to prevent people who would otherwise be shooting (or throwing spears at) each other from doing so. It can’t be any different when the majority of people would shoot each other over religious differences that would be considered trivial by anyone who had any education that involved more than one book. And, those who are uneducated are convenient tools to gain power for those few who are not, which provides encouragement to keep them uneducated…………………………But the saying " the enemy of my enemy is my friend" does not apply in this case. Each side is our enemy. We are “infidels”, making us more “killable” to each side than the other side and going over there to interfere is of no value to the American people. We need to simply stand back, allow them to manage their affairs however they would if we didn’t exist, and maybe in a few hundred years they will work it out. Once they realize that we have lost interest in them, perhaps they will return the favor and ignore us too. Killing each other is a more immediate goal…………………………………………………………………..In those cases where we can infuse some actual education into the mix, that probably would be helpful— which is why they hate teachers more than soldiers. But military interference from America accomplishes nothing except creating hatred for our country, and leaving tanks, guns and bullets where they can be used to prolong the fighting. Granted, mutual hatred for America could bring the two sides together sooner than might otherwise be the case, to attack us, but that doesn’t seem to me to be a desirable outcome. Ultimately, each country belongs to the citizens of that country, and until they fix it themselves, it ain’t fixed.

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/09/18/white-house-its-not-combat-but-if-us-troops-will-return-fire-if-shot-at/

My daughter just attended a medical conference; in Hanoi. They’re working on protocols to fight cancer. Her description of what she saw in her short visit reminded me a great deal of Saigon, Qui Nhon, and some other big cities in the south 47 years ago. I saw pictures a couple years ago of Bong Son which was mud streets and shacks 47 years ago, now has paved streets, modern buildings, and an economy.

Tossing aside the “politics”, the point is that our former enemy is now progressing, and is involved in making a better world.

Preconceived notions, and the hatred that goes with it when we’re ignorant, intolerant, and arrogant, lead to ever more “problems”, like wars. Interesting what happens if we let peace break out…

^The bomber (think Arclight) and the M 151 made me think of many years ago.