April 13, 2004

We Can Do This Easy, Or We Can Do This Hard

It seems there are two schools of thought on how to properly deal with Iraq:

  • Kill them with kindness.
  • Kill them.
(I'm leaving out options like pulling out or bringing in the U.N. This blog is dedicated to fighting dangerous stupidity, not promoting it.)

I'm being overly glib here, but you know what I mean. Proponents of the former say that by wielding too heavy a hand, the population as a whole will turn against us. Proponents of the latter say that restraint on our part is interpreted by the Iraqis as weakness and encourages the insurgents.

I know this is the superficialest (is that even a word? it is now) of the many superficial takes I've expressed here, but the point I'm trying to make is this: we seem to be going back and forth between the two. Why, then, are we always wrong when we do either?

Posted by Chris at April 13, 2004 08:31 AM

Category: General Weirdness
Comments

Actually, doing both are not incompatable with each other and may be the overall best approach. Where there is peace, even though there may be opposition, kill them with kindness. Where there is violence just kill them.

As you pointed out, we'll be wrong no matter what we do so we aren't really being constrained there. Are we?

Posted by: Larry at April 13, 2004 10:26 AM

Yep, I wish we'd quit worrying about perception and just get it done.

Posted by: Steve at April 13, 2004 10:27 AM

We are always wrong because killing is wrong. Didn't you learn that in Peacelovedope 101 at college?

Posted by: John at April 14, 2004 01:08 AM

John,
That was an elective at Michigan State; I took Military Science 121 instead (really!).

Posted by: Chris at April 14, 2004 10:08 AM

"I'll take "kill them" for 400, Chris!"

Posted by: og at April 15, 2004 03:29 PM

The answer is:
"Of mosques, hospitals, or orphanages, they are the sites splodeydopes do not use as bases to attack Coalition forces."

Posted by: Chris at April 15, 2004 04:08 PM

"What are "None of the above" Chris?"

Posted by: og at April 16, 2004 06:23 AM