The Bush administration should take a lesson from the great polar explorer
Ernest Shackleton. Many of you may be familiar with the amazing tale of survival when Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica and FAILED. Ernest knew when to Cut and Run. How does this history lesson apply to our current situation in Iraq?
In 1914, his ship Endurance got stuck in the ice of the Weddell Sea. It was eventually crushed by the ice. With three small boats, 27 men made a heroic journey across the ice and then ice filled seas to Elephant Island. Then six of them made an 800 mile journey in an open boat across the worst seas on the planet to South Georgia Island. Then Ernest with two others crossed a rugged, mountainous and glacier covered island to the whaling station on the other side. After several tries, Ernest went back to Elephant Island and rescued his men left behind. What many of you may not know is how Shackleton knew when to cut and run.
This was not Shackleton's first expedition to the Antarctic. He'd been two previous times, once with
Robert Falcon Scott. They achieved the distinction of going the furthest south in 1902. They'd reached 82 degrees 17 seconds south, but they had to turn back. They had to cut and run. In 1909 Shackleton attempted it again. They made it to a new furthest south 88 d 23 S (92 miles from their goal). Shackleton realized they could have made it to the South Pole and achieved victory, but wouldn't have made it back home alive. He remarked "Better a live donkey than a dead lion." Upon his return to England he was knighted.
It took decades for Shackleton's amazing story to filter into public consciousness because it occurred during WWI. The Endurance expedition was launched a day after hostilities were declared in 1914. Shackleton did offer the services of his ship to the Royal Navy. He'd been preparing this expedition for several years and was willing to divert all that effort for the war. Churchill then secretary of the Royal Navy said "Proceed."
This occurred before anyone knew what levels the horror World War I would reach. Shackleton rescued his men on in August 30, 1916. The Battle of the Somme had consumed a million men, July 1-Nov 18 in that same year, the highest number of any casualties of any battle in the 20th century. At the start, all hostile parties in WWI thought the war would be over by Christmas 1914.
Back to Shackleton. He had the skills and courage to know when he could achieve his objectives and when he couldn't. He knew the survival of his men was more important than his objective of crossing Antarctica. He didn't give up. He had re-evaluated his mission and determined to save the lives of his men. To cut and run is not an act of cowardice. To stay for a bad reason and die is an act of suicidal folly. What do you call keeping men under your care in a life threatening situation for no good reason?
Robert Falcon Scott did not know when to cut and run. He made it to the South Pole all right, shortly after Roald Admundsen did. Scott was a brave man, but his inability to learn from past mistakes,his pride, and his imperial arrogance had cost him and his men their lives. Scott like most of the British at the time didn't feel there was anything of value to learn from those who lived arctic regions. Admundsen did and it contributed greatly to his success.
Shackleton did attempt one last voyage to Antarctica, but died on of a heart attack en-route in 1922. At the request of his widow, he buried on South Georgia Island. His lesson? He didn't give up. He tried and tried again. Shackleton achieved a great deal though not what he had intended. His legacy transcended his failures, his cutting and running. History has judged Shackleton's life and turned it into one of the greatest stories of success and endurance of all time.
What is the lesson of Shackleton for Iraq? He knew when to cut and run. We should know when to cut and run too. Leaving Iraq won't be easy. There are some hard choices to be made. The act of leaving will also cost us lives. If we cut and run, it doesn't mean we won't go back. It does not absolve us of responsibility. We broke it. We bought it. We'll have to figure out what we can do to help Iraq. We are left with the legacy of having to clean up this administration's mess.