The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Let’s Be Extra-Accurate Here

Posted on | December 8, 2011 | 9 Comments

by Smitty

Daily Pundit:

America can win any war it chooses to fight, quickly and permanently.
The leftists, internationalists, and other creeps who have veto power in our nation’s governance just refuse to let us do so.

The snarky reply is that, sure, you can roll over anyone you like, but can you send enough hippies to #Occupy?

The less snarky reply is that it’s really hard for a national leader to hold the Clausewitzian Triangle together. Even when there is some justification, e.g. the Civil War or Iraq, Presidents like Lincoln and Bush face massive blowback for their policies.

And with justification. Keeping this short, I won’t re-hash Lincoln or Bush’s war records, but the point is that our system means that everybody in a position of power is answerable. OK, maybe not Ben Bernanke, but still: everybody whose decisions can lead to immediate loss of life, if not money, is answerable.

Holding the Rooseveltian ‘Big Stick’ is fine, and we shouldn’t get too Ron Paulish about relinquishing it. And the occasional flexing of the muscle behind that stick isn’t a bad thing. Yet less is more. The fact that the Left can yap is a sign of strength, not weakness. Admittedly, they need to think through why they can yap a bit more often. That too is healthy.

Having visited some suck-tacular corners of the planet (Afghanistan, Indonesia) I, for one, have scant interest in seeing U.S. expeditions heading that way. I’m sorry, is it politically incorrect to say that those places suck? HINT: move to one of them, and your criticism of my opinion will have more weight. It’s one thing to enjoy the notion of Team America: World Police. It’s quite another to wake up in a suck-tacular place and remind yourself why you’re there. 🙂

Category: Blogging, Foreigners

Comments

9 Responses to “Let’s Be Extra-Accurate Here”

  1. Tennwriter
    December 8th, 2011 @ 9:37 am

    I’m sympathetic, but I’ve never heard in the last decade a proper rebuttal of Belmont Club’s Three Conjectures.  And yes, I’m aware that those drive us toward Empire.

    One thing I will say is that we probably need to be more Jacksonian and less Wilsonian when it comes to war.  That is more about real shock and terror and cities turned into rubble than loudly proclaimed Shock and Awe.  I think Iraq is largely a success, but it is true that it was very costly, and very time consuming.

  2. ThePaganTemple
    December 8th, 2011 @ 10:01 am

    I don’t think its a sign of strength to allow treasonous scum to hold sway over national policy, of any kind.

  3. Restoring The Pax Americana « The Camp Of The Saints
    December 8th, 2011 @ 10:44 am

    […] would quote Smitty, but I think it important to read the whole of his reply to get the full gist of his thinking, to do it […]

  4. World Cop? Sure! World Missionary? Not So Much | Daily Pundit
    December 8th, 2011 @ 11:04 am

    […] Cop? Sure! World Missionary? Not So Much Posted on December 8, 2011 8:04 am by Bill Quick Let’s Be Extra-Accurate Here : The Other McCain Having visited some suck-tacular corners of the planet (Afghanistan, Indonesia) I, for one, have […]

  5. Sub Guy
    December 8th, 2011 @ 12:41 pm

    I had to read Clauswitz in my Strategy and War class.  Good stuff.

  6. Pathfinder
    December 8th, 2011 @ 1:18 pm

    I think that the reality of being the possessor of a very big stick also demands the reponsiblity to use it wisely and well, responsibly.  The men and women who make up the stick (and their families) deserve this as well as the country.
    Sometimes it needs to be wielded, and then do so with authority, play to win — but it shouldn’t be whipped out just for the heck of it.  The people in power should be held answerable if they break this simple rule.

  7. K-Bob
    December 8th, 2011 @ 2:02 pm

    The fact that the Left can yap is a sign of strength, not weakness. Admittedly, they need to think through why they can yap a bit more often.

    Yeah, right.  Like this isn’t a fascist, police state where you get locked up, beaten, and tortured for speaking truth to power, or engaging in “forbidden” activity.

    I’m going back to my video game, now. Right after I smoke this number.

    Fascists.

  8. Improving Our Accuracy: Laser-Like Focus : The Other McCain
    December 8th, 2011 @ 2:41 pm

    […] addthis_share = [];}by SmittyClausewitz and the Rule of ThreesDaily Pundit posted, and I responded. Daily Pundit replied, and we appear to be talking past each other. Unexpectedly. My Mudville […]

  9. DaveO
    December 8th, 2011 @ 9:40 pm

    I’ve always wanted to invade the Caribbean. Someplace with a pleasant, functioning infrastructure, and where “running water” is not defined as “rain.”

    Of course, Americans never get sent to such lovely locales.