…forces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy: America should do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, airstrikes and small, potent Special Forces units, concentrating on the porous 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, a nation that actually matters.
Genius, said de Gaulle, recalling Bismarck’s decision to halt German forces short of Paris in 1870, sometimes consists of knowing when to stop. Genius is not required to recognize that in Afghanistan, when means now…
When George Will and Senator Russ Feingold agree on something, you better listen to them.
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He is misquoting history because Germans troops did not fall back as he describe but held onto the siege and force Paris to surrender in 1871. This allowing Germany again additional land.
“Paris surrendered in January 1871 after being under siege from Sept 19, 1870 .The treaty of Frankfurt was signed on May 10, 1871 . France ceded Alsace, except Belfort and eastern Lorraine to Germany and agreed that a German army could occupy northern France till an indemnity of five billion Francs was paid . “,
http://francoprussianwar.com/
This is a delibaerate attempt to alter hsitroy for the sole purpose of finding support for one’s own views. There are others in there but this is the big one.
I can’t speak for Will, but I think he was referring to the decision not to enter Paris. But his larger point stands. For example:
Granted planning is important but like anything(War being one of the biggest), it is how leaders handle things when they do not go according to plan. Because like you said when you try to plan everything to to the smallest detail it become so rigid that a unexpected event(s) will cause everything to fall apart.
So that is why I am tryng to figure out how the another is trying to make a connection with this to Afghanistan.
Also some more thought about this.
http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=14066
I’ll try to respond to the This Ain’t Hell link tonight. Fair warning though: I have a hard time getting through a lot of the posts there lately because the temperature is always so high.
Why does this have to be the ONLY rleialbe source? Oh well, gj!
Looking forward to it, also I would imagine that your new house is keeping you busy.