On War

Some years ago, my partner and I responded to a domestic violence call. When we met the battered and shaken woman, she described how she was beaten and choked as her adult son stole her money and jewelry. After stripping the wedding ring from her finger, he left her bloody, bruised, and crying on the kitchen floor.

As we completed our report, the son returned. When we tried to arrest him he began to struggle against us. Fueled by PCP and cocaine, the man was almost impossible to control. When my partner and I pulled him onto the living room floor the fight was ON with no rules, no help, and no recourse. We were alone with a deranged man who wanted to kill us.

We were at war.

Don’t hurt my son!

As we grappled and fought with the desperate man, his mother closed in and began to kick, pull, and tug at our arms. She was a nice lady who meant well. She didn’t like violence and didn’t want anyone to get hurt. But by interfering with our attempts to control her son, she endangered herself, her son, and those who had come to protect her.

As the woman screamed and fought, she emboldened her son to resist further. By interfering with those who had come to defend her, our victim had become our enemy. Had Democrats conducted a poll, 100% of the residents would have viewed us as occupiers.

War is serious business. In 2001, America committed herself to war just as our warriors committed themselves to victory. That some Americans today behave like hysterical children is understandable. That others exploit their hysterics for political gain is Machiavellian, at best.

War is ugly. War is dangerous. War is hell. And if you commit to war, it must be won.

Toward the end of World War II, Kamikaze pilots flew bombs into our warships. This new and unthinkable tactic killed thousands of American troops and sailors. Had the Japanese convinced us that the war was no longer worth fighting, our world would have suffered a far greater injury than the comparative fraction of a few thousand more American troops.

There’s nothing nice or civilized about war. As a peacemaker who has buried other peacemakers, I understand the risks. We accept these risks when, like me and my son, we leave our comfortable lives and volunteer to defend others. Like war, there’s no turning back. By making our commitment to win we declare to our enemies that they have no chance. By being committed, we save lives and prevent tyranny throughout the world.

Timetables for Withdrawal

Can anyone imagine FDR planning the withdrawal of US troops from Japan or Germany in 1943?

Imagine my partner and me rolling around on the floor with someone who’s trying to kill us when John Kerry taps us on the shoulder:

I’m John Kerry and I fought in Vietnam. When do you think you boys will be ready to go home? Aren’t you tired, yet? Haven’t you had enough? Wouldn’t it be nice if you were home now? Your chief lied to you and because you’re not as smart as I am you don’t know any better. You've abused prisoners. Your friends have been killed, blinded, and mained. You're not doing anyone any good here. You're part of the problem. What’s wrong with you? Are you sick? Do you LIKE WAR?

Thanks Senator, but you might want to get out of the way so that our sweat and blood doesn’t ruin your shoeshine.

If Kerry asked the same question to the mayor, the police chief or the president it would not be any less obnoxious. War is like sitting on a toilet: The answer is always, when I’m finished.

Timetables are traps set by politicians to be used by our enemies. Wars end fastest when the enemy endures perpetual suffering and thinks it could last forever. The prospect of facing America’s vast resources, motivated troops, and endless resolve is far more daunting than telling them to wait until next October. That this must be carefully explained to veterans like John Kerry, John Murtha, and Jimmy Carter demonstrates gross incompetence at best, and is as helpful as pouring lemonade into a gas tank.

In war there are no half-measures or soft hits. When we withdraw from our commitments as Democrats demanded in Vietnam and Somalia, we embolden our enemies and reinforce the American mythology of failure. Our words, deeds, and actions must constantly remind our enemies that those who make war with America face an unquestionable, unapologetic, and painful defeat.

During war, there are only two legitimate questions:

1. Do we still want to win?
2. What can I do to help our troops win?

Like Sun Tzu, veterans like John Murtha once understood the Art of War. But like all Americans, Murtha’s honorable past does not establish his coherence or competence today.

America was born in war. Those who threaten our freedoms must be punished by war. And if America is to be free, we must make war upon those who threaten to take our freedoms from us.

These truths are self-evident. Only the uneducated, the addled, and our enemies would disagree.