War has always been terrible, especially for the people directly involved -- soldiers, civilians in the zone of conflict.
In the 1960s and 70s, it had become fashionable to blame "the Generals," the military men at the top (and yes, they were all men), usually depicted as stupid and/or war-mongering types, echoing stereotypes from the First World War of officers heedlessly expending soldier's lives to move the battle line a few feet forward.
But the top military brass don't decide when to wage wars; their job is to figure out how to wage them. Modern command staff in modern countries are keenly aware of the cost in materiel and men's (and, increasingly, women's) lives and limbs.
The culprits are those smiling bastards in nice suits, sitting in climate-controlled offices hundreds if not thousands of miles from the action, looking at colorful lines on a map. They're never going to have actual blood on their hands, never going to drive a tank through smoking wreckage that was once a neighborhood or huddle behind a broken wall as the other side's tanks trundle past, never going to hear artillery fire, bombs fall, advance towards the pop and crack of rifles or look over, startled, as one of their fellows is hit by a sniper. Lines on a map, spheres of influence, regions of control, that's all they see; not scared kids with their grandmother, waiting at the station for a train to safety that may never arrive.
Wars are started by the initiation of force. One side or the other throws out the first bomb, fires the first shot. People bleed and scream and die. Up to that point, it's just normal conflict and competition; it's a phase change when loaded bombers fly and tanks roll, solid to liquid, liquid to gas.
So the next glib talker who spews lines at me about Soros and Putin, CIA, FSB and culture-wars gibberish, will be lucky if all he gets is laughed at. While Ukraine's government and civil rights were not as shiny a model of modern wonderfulness as one might hope, Russia's is clearly, drastically worse in every way. Don't take my word for it, look it up. Use last year's references, or the year before, or even earlier. Ukraine has been moving towards a more free society, away from a centrally-controlled economy and Russia is headed the other way.
Russia's invasion of a neighboring country is indefensible. Oh, it's not our dog in that fight now, just as it wasn't when they grabbed the Crimean peninsula seven years ago and got away with it. Now, having had a nibble, they're after the whole hog. It's not proving as easy as Vladimir Putin expected and he may do something drastic if it keeps getting worse.
Making excuses for his actions is indefensible. I don't care what kind of handwavium you're smoking. It's time to put down the bong and grow up.
(Title song, here.)
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
7 comments:
You're absolutely right. Unfortunately, history repeats because we fail to learn.
Your statement concerning lack of skin in the war by the guys in nice suits is exactly why I did not/do not/probably will never think that an all-volunteer military is a good thing. At least with somewhat of a lottery system there is a chance that those guys/gals in nice suits will have some of their own kin to think about. Having a kid in the military is great sensitivity training.
Congressman Dan Crenshaw left an eye on the battlefield. Senator Tammy Duckworth left her legs. President Joe Biden’s son deployed.
Some of us are paying attention to who’s putting skin in the game.
I enlisted in the Marines in 1966 when I failed out of college. My brother was drafted into the Army 2 years later. We didn't have parents who could let us keep changing majors to stay in college. I don't regret my 4 years service but I did have issue with an a$$hole at work 10 years ago that laughed about being able to do that. I told him to go to the traveling Wall and take a name of that Wall and put it over his bed and thank that guy for taking his place.
Tam--Thank you for pointing out what I failed to note - that some of the people in nice suits already, indeed, have their own skin or the skin of kin on the line now, or in the past. My fumble in painting with a wide brush. My apologies for this failure.
Cop Car,
Oh, that wasn't directed at you. My apologies if it came across that way!
It's just something that I pay attention to when politicians start slinging rhetoric.
Tam--Thanks for your concern, but I didn't take your comment personally - except that I felt compelled to try to fix my fumble. When the shoe fits, I must wear it.
BTW: Although neither of us saw active duty other than for training, my Hunky Husband (HH) served from 1954-1965 in the Air National Guard, and I served 1980-1986 in the US Navy Reserves. HH's wing was sent to Viet Nam just after he left it - when we moved from Kansas to Washington (state). In addition, over the years, each of us served in elected positions and volunteer positions in the city in which we live. We are not flag wavers, but we have been active participants.
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