SO FAR, NO ONE GIVES U.S. STRATEGY AGAINST ISIL ITS PROPER NAME: AERIAL GUERILLA WAR.
Between congressional conservatives and President Obama’s team exists a war of ideas about war. The conservative idea, as usual, is rooted in traditional images reaching back through European history and practice to the Classical Era, even as far back as the war between Greece and Troy. In this model, which lasted clear up through our Civil War to the two World Wars, columns of armed men advance as infantry and cavalry with some type of artillery in columns that deploy into a front. The front conducts siege against a city or other fortified position, or it faces an enemy force in similar deployment. The two sides line up and shoot volleys against each other until one side senses greater advantage, or grows impatient, and charges with spears, swords, bayonets or whatever.
This is the ancient notion of “manly war.” Conservatives tend to forget that our country had its first military success using guerrilla tactics against the British column retreating from engagements at Concord and Lexington. To the traditional (conservative) mind, guerrilla warfare is unmanly, feminine, sneaky and unworthy. Yet it proved almost successful against us in the Philippine struggle for independence after the Spanish-American War, and it beat us in Vietnam. Such tactics prove to be a strong strategy when used by the weaker force. The conservative mind sees their use as an admission of weakness or inferiority. But conservatives are often weakened by their own machismo and egotistical hubris. This, for instance, led to the destruction of the British “Light Brigade” against the Russian gun positions at Balaclava in the Crimea. It led also to Napoleon’s failure against Wellington at Waterloo. The Emperor’s good sense abandoned him that day in favor of pounding ahead with sheer force. He had not counted on Blücher’s arrival with the Prussian Army before nightfall. Napoleon thought by then he would hold the field and dispose of Blücher next dawn, at leisure.
Our president’s team has, through force of political circumstance, fallen upon a grand reversal of strategy. Admitting weakness, we leave the ground as much as possible to people who live there and the forces of the so-called Islamic State Caliphate. We go “underground” — by taking to the air! With intelligence from satellite surveillance and reports from allies on the ground, plus a few spotters, we inject the needle where it will most harm jihadi concentrations and movements. They will feel the “death by a thousand cuts” while we stay far away from them. While they have enough depth of finance, ordnance and supply to last a long time, the Western powers will gradually encircle them like a boa constrictor and, with help from Muslim states, choke them out.
Robert Shelby is a poet and writer who served as Benicia’s poet laureate from 2008-10.
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As usual Robert Shelby uses a clueless article as a weapon to attack Conservatives. What he does not understand and that is very apparent in his article he just does not read or understand this big issue. The Warfare that is being carried out is the Conservative plan now being adopted by President Obama. Shelby has no clue. Just wants to support his own agenda driven anti conservative ideals. All backed by his anti American desription of the American flag “As a Tri Colored Rag”. At the same time using his noodle cane to try and support his own out of touch ideals. So there you have it. Robert Shelby you should be ashamed of yourself. Stick to your paper clipped together poetry.
Great job Mr. Shelby, and welcome back. Keep telling it like it is and giving the troglodytes apoplectic fits!
The only problem H H is that the only problem is that Socialist Shelby gives himself and all his Alger Hiss followers hope. Problen is there is none. Can you figure that out H H or do you have to refer to Whit. Now that\ one you may never figure out.
Ha ha ha ha ha
The crap spewing from Benicia’s sewer is no worry to me. Don’t address comments to your superiors and you’ll get along better than you have.
If there is no hope why do you care if Mr. Shelby gives us some? Clearly you are actually worried about the effectiveness of his writing.
I think everyone except H H knows Shelby is of little importance. Have you talked to Whit yet. You are also clueless.
I think everyone thinks that of you. In fact I know it.
The bACk and forth between Bob and HH does not get us anywhere. It is time to stop this and comment on the article only. Can you do that H H?
I already did. Then you butted in. So you get what you deserve fathead.
Check and mate.
It is realy simple. Its the Progressives against the Conservatives. In Benicia the odds are against Conservatives. So I do not mind being the lone wolf. I get my point across and am well respected. It makes no difference to me what Thomas or H H say or think. They show there very shallow out look on politics. They are very predictable and do bring out their bad trates when they go up against me. They are of very little importance even in Benicia. Believe me H H and Thomas more people follow what I write and comme on than you two . No contest. Now I know these two will come back with comments that mean nothing. So be it. Notice the name calling that H H uses. Sure indication he is losing. .
Boo, Ghost, Boo!
Not well respected, not at all. Loathed and mocked from the top down.
Bob, keep the comments coming. I enjoy reading your opinion, sometimes I agree and sometimes not but this board wouldn’t be the same without you. Go get ’em Lone Wolf
“”.. sometimes I agree and sometimes not…” Good comment RKJ. However, it would be nice if others had that kind of latitude w/o having the inclination of lashing out..
Apparently during your hiatus Robert you were studying liberal mis-history books, as your piece is incorrect on several minor fronts (i.e. Balaclava, ‘Feminine’, the origins of guerilla tactics in the US (research Prince Phillips War or the French and Indian Wars)).
Those points are rather minor. However, this one is a major error foisted into American history lore by anti-American progressives:
and it (guerilla tactics) beat us in Vietnam.
That statement is at best, a simplistic at worse a prevarication. Let’s consider the war from the viewpoint of the victors:
Quoting from Snopes.com:
“General Giap attributed the Communists’ eventual military victory to their courage, determination, wisdom, tactics, intelligence, and sacrifices, along with Americans’ lack of knowledge about the Vietnamese nation and its people”
Quoting Bui Tinh (his words are in Italics) a member of the General staff under General Giap:
Q: Was the American antiwar movement important to Hanoi’s victory?
A:It was essential to our strategy. Support for the war from our rear was completely secure while the American rear was vulnerable. Visits to Hanoi by people like Jane Fonda and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and ministers gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses. We were elated when Jane Fonda, wearing a red Vietnamese dress, said at a press conference that she was ashamed of American actions in the war and that she would struggle along with us.
Q: Why did the Politburo pay attention to these visits?
A: Those people represented the conscience of America. The conscience of America was part of its war-making capability, and we were turning that power in our favor. America lost because of its democracy; through dissent and protest it lost the ability to mobilize a will to win. We had the impression that American commanders had their hands tied by political factors. Your generals could never deploy a maximum force for greatest military effect.
———- End ———-
One also has to remember that Congress defunded the war, as well as tied the Presidents hands in various ways.
Our defeat in Vietnam, as much as you may celebrate it, was based on a combination of factors, including progressives outright aiding and abetting of the opposition.
Your statement is a gross oversimplification of a complex situation. But I do note it passed muster for the misinformed
I wonder, reading this, what conservatives’ treasonous undermining of Obama in the Middle East does for the morale of ISIS and its sympathizers.
Excellent comment Dennis witth rersearch to back it up. These anti American Progressives are not going to like your facts. They will still show thjeir anti American idealogy. Good worjk Dennis. My comment which was the first one did call out Robert Shelby. I must admit I like yours better. Mine gets the Progressives in an uproar yours sends then back to the fact board. I love it.
Dennis is great at finding factoids that inevitably prove inaccurate, and often manipulated, in his effort to debunk liberal truths. He is not so great however at lashing together sentences to make a coherent argument, as evidenced by his strange and tortured recent effort about the NHS. I think probably he is motivated by jealousy at others’ superior writing ability, and it can’t help his inferiority complex when one of his main perceived rivals earns plaudits and spurs commentary while crickets greet his own labors.
Now Bob’s motivation? Hate keeps him alive, of course! What the hell else is he going to so with his time?
H H I cannot uinderstand your hate. Many who comment on Robert Shelby have a long history and it is not very nice. I commented on the article and what I thought it was all about. As the comments continued it came out DDL and myself are correct. It now appears H H you have fallen into the hateful thinking of Robert Shelby. Do you think the American Flag is :”A Tri-Colored RAG”? I sure hope not. When hateful comments about others show up on this comment section it destroys the reason why we all comment. I do not mind comments directed at my thinking as long as they are not personal attacks. H H you and Shelby do it and that is all you know. Try for once to keep your personal attacks off the comment section.
But you are not right. You are wrong. And a stalker to boot. Stop the hate, Bob. Let your last few precious years on this planet be positive.
Sorry Hank you cannot get off your hatred of Conservatives.. Now I am a stalker. Stalker of what. Hank I do know your upset with up coming beating the Liberals are going to take. So what do you do. You attack Conservatives with your very hateful comments. Hank you still have not told us about the flag issue. Do you agree with the comment by Shelby? A answer could tell the folks a lot about you. Just tell us Hank. Now I do know asking for an answer is not in your comment contract with the Liberals. . HANk you do not have the courage to answer. What we will all see is more hateful comments.
What flag comment? There is nothing in this excellent oped about flags. Are you referencing a past statement by Mr. Shelby? Do you see where the “stalker” thing comes in?
I don’t know what beating you think liberals are going to take, but it is nothing compared to what conservatives are going to take statewide here an nationwide in 2016. Whatever gains you make will be temporary, remember that.
The “tricolored rag” phrase was uttered by Napoleon Bonaparte regarding HIS OWN flag, as something Frenchmen would gladly die for in battle. He was recognizing that there is a sort of idiocy in mistaking symbols for things they symbolize.
Mr. Shelby, we were not beat by guerrilla warfare in Vietnam, we quit and went home. I was there nobody beat me , my outfit or the 1st Marine Division we were assigned to. Remember originally we went there to help the South Vietnamese and not to do their fighting for them.
Now we are bombing with no boots on the ground, hopefully it stays that way. I’m glad we have support from other countries I just do not think the locals other than the Peshmerga have the will to fight. Many of the Iraqi, and Syrians show no will to fight and many seem to side with the Caliphate . I do support Obama on this and hope we do get rid of this cancer without losing Americans.
Sorry, RKJ, if you felt your toes stepped on about U.S. loss to Viet Cong. Yes, I guess we won that war after all. We were not all captured and decapitated like some ancient Chinese armies and their folks.
I guess we could still be there fighting if the American public hadn’t wised up to the uselessness of it. Maybe we’d have killed off the North Vietnamese population and lost a few more thousand troops.
Sorry, DDL, that you’re so impercipient as to think your “factoids” trump my facts. I hope never to wax as nasty and snide as you do. I would not wish my thinking to be so warped and impaired.
Sorry, Bobby of the Living Deadness for your shallow existence. You can’t help it.
BTW, DDL, you should reread Sun Wu Zi’s ART OF WAR more carefully. Viet Cong strategy benefited from our public unwillingness to go on. Besides, we were lucky we caved in. Consider the alternative — a far-eastern twelve-year debacle before our twelve year near-eastern debacle? The one that’s not over yet?
I never said we won the war Shelby and we fought the NVA and the Chinese in that war not just the VC. Can’t you reply without snide comments.
Robert stated: DDL, that you’re so impercipient as to think your “factoids” trump my facts.
Robert, you wrote an ‘opinion’ piece, not a ‘fact’ piece, and your opinion was based on numerous pieces of false information and assumptions.
Second; ‘factoids’ – The one that I focused on was an insult and a lie. It was offensive to veterans like RKJ, who served willingly in that war. But you do not care if you insult or offend people, as long as those people are ones with whom you disagree.
I seriously believe Robert, that given the ultimate power of unrelenting control over others, by a government of your liking, you would volunteer to man the guard towers of the indoctrination centers that you would demand be built to correct the thinking of the ‘backwardites’ whom you despise.
I hope never to wax as nasty and snide as you do. When it comes to rude, snide and insulting Robert, it would seem your memory of past comments you have made is as weak as your knowledge of history and guerilla warfare.
Need I remind you of the numerous times your posts have been removed? Or of the several private e-mails that you sent to me, including the one I forwarded to all the contributors to demonstrate the vile words you directed at me? Need I remind you of the e-mail I forwarded to your son in which I also expressed my concern for your well-being, as I suspected serious mental issues were potentially developing? Or need I remind you that you once posted that you wanted to use a machine gun on the leaders of the NRA?
No Robert, my comments to you have been tepid at best compared to your comments directed at other. But I notice that is a habit amongst you and your ‘ilk’ (a word you have used numerous times against me and others).
You haven’t begun to receive or understand all the vile words you deserve, Dennis. I’m not aware of the numerous posts of mine you claim were “removed.” I recall nothing of your forwarding to my son, but as for illness, you are a prominent case study. My knowledge of history is accurate concerning your “ilk.” It would be no use to try to “indoctrinate” you and I wouldn’t begin to try educating you, you’ve filled yourself up with ego and brain-damage excluding further development. What I termed your “factoids” are sound information but you misapply them to purpose more malicious even than you impute to me. You have almost always been deeply rude, snide and insulting, surface “politeness” notwithstanding. “…numerous pieces of false information and assumptions…”? Your screed actually controverted none of my points at all. In your usual splay manner of attack, you talked through and around my points without really touching anything significant, more than to reveal your arrogant scorn. As for RKJ, he is a better balanced fellow than you and well able to take care of himself without your aid. —rms.
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Robert stated: I’m not aware of the numerous posts of mine you claim were “removed.” I recall nothing of your forwarding to my son,
Thank you for confirming the depth of your issues, I will add a bad memory as well as denial to the lists of ailments.
It does not matter that you do not remember these issues Robert, that was why I copied in others, including your son (I assume he is your son, as “Shelby” was in his e-mail address, which you had included that on a correspondence to me).
Beyond the Nobel Peace Prize winner—
From the above article:
“Between congressional conservatives and President Obama’s team exists a war of ideas about war.”
From the article below a more “comprehensive analysis” for Mr.Shelby and the community to consider…
“‘Those who use violence to shape the world, as we have done in the Middle East, unleash a whirlwind. Our initial alliances—achieved at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dead, some $3 trillion in expenditures and the ravaging of infrastructure across the region—have been turned upside down by the cataclysm of violence.”
“More violence is not going to rectify the damage. Indeed, it will make it worse. But violence is all we know.”
The state rages like an insane King Lear, who in his madness and desire to revenge himself on his two daughters and their husbands decides that:
It were a delicate stratagem to shoe
A troop of horse with felt. I’ll put ’t in proof.
And when I have stol’n upon these sons-in-law,
Then, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!
“Endless war, which results in endless terror, leaves the arms manufacturers and generals giddy with joy.”
“Violence as a primary form of communication has become normalized. It is not politics by other means. It is politics. Democrats are as infected as Republicans. The war machine is impervious to election cycles. It bombs, kills, maims, tortures, terrorizes and destroys as if on autopilot. It dispenses with humans around the globe as if they were noisome insects. No one dares lift his or her voice to protest against a war policy that is visibly bankrupting the United States, has no hope of success and is going to end with new terrorist attacks on American soil. We have surrendered our political agency and our role as citizens to the masters of war.”
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/29/becoming-hezbollahs-air-force
Beyond the Nobel Peace Prize winner—
From the above article:
“Between congressional conservatives and President Obama’s team exists a war of ideas about war.”
From the article below a more “profound analysis” (dictionary definitions) for Mr.Shelby and the community to consider about our present… “Aerial guerrilla warfare.”
“2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force”
“The gift that just keeps on giving.”
“Barbarians”
“Those committing war crimes without the use of cruise missiles and drones.”
“Collateral Damage”
“The inevitable killing of innocent civilians in military operations. Regrettable, but what’s one to do? Ground the drones and shelve the bombs? Never. Instead, just avoid having to even acknowledge any measure of regret by denying and concealing all occurrences. And if that fails, maybe a little blood money will be enough to shut the locals up.”
Homeland Security
That which requires the endless bombing of faraway lands (mainly “Iraq”), in addition to the snatching up of every American’s personal communications.
More examples below:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/09/30/a-dictionary-reference-to-the-war-on-isis/
I would note, as my last word on this thread, that the main losers from our quitting the fight in Vietnam were the fuel and transport, equipment, arms & munitions makers, and financiers of the military-industrial complex, along with their investors. A sad day when a golden goose gets retired. Right?
Robert stated: “I would note… that the main losers from our quitting the fight in Vietnam were the fuel and transport, equipment, arms & munitions makers, and financiers of the military-industrial complex, along with their investors.”
Ignoring your snide sarcasm, and insulting comments to Vietnam Vets, let’s not forget who the real losers were:
From wikipedia:
On 2 July 1976, North and South Vietnam were merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Following the communist takeover, 1–2.5 million South Vietnamese were sent to reeducation camps, with an estimated 165,000 prisoners dying. Between 100,000 and 200,000 South Vietnamese were executed. R. J. Rummel, an analyst of political killings, estimated that about 50,000 South Vietnamese deported to “New Economic Zones” died performing hard labor, out of the 1 million that were sent. 200,000 to 400,000 Vietnamese boat people died at sea, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
As long as the cause is advanced, what’s a half million broken eggs really mean in the greater good though right Robert?
Hank his comments about the flag are going to stick. Do you agree with his statement about the flag? You will not answer. Many statements made by folks over the years stick to them. This will stick to Shelby. It will never go away. He has made no attempt to explain or apoligize for his statement. Again Hank do you think the same way and believe his statement about the flag is what you also believe. You have no idea what a stya;ker is. My comment is a fact and not an opinion on his statement about the flag.
Classic stalker behavior. Sorry carpetbagger, not playing your game.
I finally got around to reading this article. All I can say is that to say conservatives believe war is this and liberals believe that is the biggest bunch of poetic crap I have read in a long time. I would love to ask each and every person who has posted here, how close to this war have you been? Leave the con/lib out and just answer that question. As for the author, he is extremely well written in expressing his views, but in trying to paint this as liberals believe this, conservatives believe that he is showing his utter ignorance of what is really happening, IMHO.
John stated: he (Shelby) is showing his utter ignorance of what is really happening,
John you assessment is spot on, as well as being refreshing to see.
As to your open question, I will say this:
To which “war” are you specifically referring? I say that because the ‘War’ against Isis is the probable answer, but in my opinion it is a continuum, or a campaign fought in one bigger war (as in WWII, we had the African, Italian and French campaigns). I believe that is part of the world’s problem in that the enemy in the bigger war is not fully recognized as well as the depth of hate the Islamic extremists have for the ‘Great Satan’ is not fully appreciated.
The only way this War will be won is when the moderates of Islam stand with us, and not on the sidelines.
How ‘close’ have I been? My son served in the Iraq Campaign, a nephew was in special forces in Afghanistan (before the Afghani Campaign started).
I feel I have been watching this closer then some, but likely not nearly as much as others.
It does appear that the consensus is that the writer does not know what he talking about. But at the same time does present a picture that some could go along with if that is how they believe. His only problem is know one believes his well written article on his beliefs/opinions so the article is not well written just a pure opinon article. Some will go allong others will not. But for all the commentors to chime in is good. Sorry Robert you did not win any believers.
“Consensus” — ha!