WAR IS HELL

The last real war fought by the US military was WW II.

Pursuant to the US Constitution the US military is subject to civilian control. That means that politicians can trump any military decision. Politicians who pander to public opinion are in the ultimate position to dictate military strategy.

However, in WW II the US military basically ignored the political wrangling in Washington and fought the war according to sound military strategy. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in the European theater and General Douglas MacArthur was the commander in the Pacific theater. Both men were professional career military men with a sound knowledge of military strategy and very strong personalities. Both Generals sidestepped Washington’s political wisdom and fought the war on military principles exclusively. Both Generals prevailed in their military campaigns and Dwight D. Eisenhower went on to become President of the US. General MacArthur moved on to the post-WW II war to fight the Korean war, to prevent the North Korean communists from overrunning the entire country

But a new era had dawned in the US, an era where politics would run wars and not Generals. General MacArthur, fresh off his WW II Pacific victory, did not realize or appreciate this shift in US attitude and policy. He warned that China would probably enter the Korean war and if it did, the US would lose. He put forth a plan for a preemptive strike against China with no less than 52 atomic bombs. He was immediately recalled to Washington and fired by then President Harry S, Truman. China did enter the Korean war and the US did lose. There has never been a peace treaty signed and the two Koreas remain technically in a state of war to this day. The two Koreas are separated by a demilitarized zone that is heavily fortified on each side. The US military did not lose the Korean  war, the Washington politicians accomplished that embarrassment. Washington lacked the political will to win the Korean war although the military capability has never been questioned.

Subsequently, when the French military gave up the ghost in Viet Nam, the US military steeped in to fill the void to prevent the North Vietnam communists from taking over the entire country. But again, the military was constantly overruled by political decisions in Washington and eventually the US military was forced to tuck its tail and run. The US military did not lose the Viet Nam war, the Washington politicians accomplished that embarrassment.

The Russian military gave up all hope and abandoned Afghanistan. But under the pretext of fighting global terrorism and Al Quada, the US military was sent into Afghanistan. This war has turned into a 10 year long quagmire with military strategists and civilian authorities engaging in their own internal war within a war. This political control of the military caused the US General Mc Chrystal to issue a stinging rebuke against the US President and his minions. The General was recalled to Washington where he was fired.

The British military abandoned the Middle East but the US stepped in and provided weapons and advice to both Iran and Iraq in their long running war against each other. The Washington politicians thought it wise to support both sides. The US military subsequently invaded Iraq in Desert Storm. Just when the US military was in a striking distance of Baghdad, a political decision was made to break off the military engagement and declare victory over Saddam Hussein.

Ten years later the US military found itself invading Iraq s second time to combat global terrorism by killing Saddam Hussein. But again, the politicians are running the war and it has dragged on for 10 years with no satisfactory conclusion in sight.

In fact, since WW II, the only war won by the US military was the one waged against the defenseless island country of Granada.

America has lost its political will to win any war. The US military is used to intimidate and coerce negotiations but it is not used to win decisively. US politicians are constantly sending the US military into harms way and then insisting that there is no military solution, only a political one.

The US military glory days of WW II are over and will never be revisited so long as civilian politicians are calling the shots. The US will declare victory and pull out of both Afghanistan and Iraq leaving the job unfinished. That is the new US, an ally that can’t be counted on. Taiwan misplaces its reliance on the US.