If anyone has seen the documentary "The Fog of War", where Errol Morris interviews Robert S. McNamara in eleven chapters, or lessons on Vietnam, one can hardly fail to think these are lessons we never learned.
- Empathize with your enemy.
- Rationality will not save us.
- There's something beyond one's self.
- Maximize efficiency.
- Proportionality should be a guideline of war.
- Get the data.
- Belief and seeing are both often wrong.
- Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning.
- In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.
- Never say never.
- You can't change human nature.
We'll discus them in contemporary terms below the bump.
Empathize with your enemy
This is almost by far the biggest failure we are experiencing in Iraq. We all recall the "happy Iraqi" scenario put forth by the administration and the likes of Tom Freidman. Instead of being showered with flowers and candy, IED's and mortals are the hallmark greeting.
Rationality will not save us
Reason is hardly something we have come to expect from our current crisis leadership. But when they claim that suicide bombers are cowards and indicative of desperation, that is failed reasoning and lack of understanding the enemies motivation completely.
Just because yellow Republicans don't want to serve and die for their cause does not mean that the insurgents feel that way. they clearly do not.
There's something beyond one's self
Ah the purple finger, Democracy on the march. Jefferson returns ! Humbug. As we have seen only days ago in Iran, Democracy in the middle east most likely has no resemblance to western liberal democracy. Yet we fail too see this and acknowledge it. A democratic Iraq may well seek WMD as the democratic Iran does. Where does that leave us ? With a fanatical state.
We also fail to understand that the USA is not the only country that has patriotism and nationalism, and it is just as powerful a medicine elese where as it is here. NO one wants to be occupied.
Maximize efficiency
The Powell Doctrine inverted. Rumsfled is currently trying to deny his orginal plan called for only 50,000 troops while many were calling for hundredsof thousands, but the fact remains this war was done on the cheap fomr the get go. the insrugency grew its roots fomr the early days of looting and un gaurded ammo dumps.
Despite months going by, we have yet to fully equip our warriors wit hthe equipment they need for survival and success.
Proportionality should be a guideline of war
Where it all went wrong. Invading a country on trumped up charge, when it was effectively neutured by sanctions and inspections is not proportional. Iraq had neither an airforce, a navy to WMD to threaten the US or it's naighbors, yet we steam rolled in regardless.
We have seen this lack of proportioality repeated time after time since invading, from the leveling of Fallujah in retaliation for 4 brutal murders, to the abuses of prisoners all across the war zone.
Get the data
We had the initial data, and they lied. The Downing Street minutes reveal this for all. But now we are there, we completely lack credible metrics to measure success and failure. How do we know when we are done ? We simply don't and it is why we are failing - and will continue to fail, long after the war has become unwinnable.
We do not know how many insugrents there are, nor who comprises them.
We do not know how many Iraqis are trained to provide security, nor how effective they are. And we do not know how many we need.
Even the reconstruction data indicates that little or no progess has been made.
Belief and seeing are both often wrong
How we hear the calls on the right that the media never report the good news, or the insurgency is in the last throes, or the torture at abu gharaib.
We havent dealt with this war in the real world since it idealized itself on the ranch in texas in 1999.
Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning
We will hear the President this week address the nation, and tell us it's tough, but we must stay the course. Sure they will change the rationale for staying the course to try and bolster public opinion, but the course remains the same - and when all is lost, operation Blame the Liberal will be the new war.
In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.
you are either with us or with the terrorists (untli you negotiate with them i guess). Black and White, up is down. It's cowboys vs Indians at this point. We are increasingly becoming the evil.
Never say never.
This administration has closed off, or attempted to do so, all debate to lead to alternatives. Whether it was building a genuine coalition, or involving the UN in a greater capacity - it's answer has always been the same - NEVER.
You can't change human nature.
Which is why the insurgency cannot be defeated by an occupying force once it is established. One of the biggest failings of this administration is to have surrounded itself with yes men - neocons who all share the same mindset. There is simply no dissenting voices to offer differing views of human nature.
We are still trying to defeat the insrugency on the battlefield. In recent testimony, Gen. Abizaid informed the Senate that the state department folks were severely understaffed to do the crucial civil affiars work needed to form a stable and functioning government.
We will lose this war, because whenever learned a damn thing from Vietnam - though i doubt any of this administration will ever offer a mea culpa as Robert S. McNamara did.