“I Have Seen The Enemy And I’m Thinking About It”
Brit defense minister, annoyed with the dithering. UK Telegraph. Apparently counting daisies while soldiers are pushing them up is deemed politically awkward.
Look, the Brits may have a history of going off half-cocked against assorted Normans, Corsicans, Nazis and what have you, but they apparently don’t fully appreciate the way we Americans fight our wars. Historic U.S. precedents for painstakingly mulling action:
Col. William Prescott, Sept. 17, 1775, while serving Gen. Gage his breakfast, “Morning, Sire. Do you see? The whites of eggs fried.”
George Washington, deliberating whether to cross the Delaware, March 25, 1777, issues the password, “Exit Plan or Else!”
John Paul Jones, Dec. 23, 1779, bobbing off Flamborough Head three months after the sinking of USS Bonhomme Richard and departure of HMS Serapis from the scene. “I’m ready to fight now!”
Lincoln, on ordering Meade to provide him with a report on what it will take to remove Lee’s forces from New York, Oct. 1, 1863. “Four score and 12 days ago, Gen. Lee arrived in Pennsylvania with an army dedicated to the proposition of kicking Union ass. Now we are engaged in mulling a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure without an exit strategy … ”
Adm. David Farragut, Nov. 5, 1864, bottom of Mobile Bay. “Damn torpedoes!”
Adm. George Dewey, Aug. 1, 1898, bottom of Manila Bay. “You might fire, but I’m not ready, Gridley.”
Marine Gunnery Sgt Dan Daly, Sept. 4, 1918, Belleu Wood POW camp, “Come on, you sons of bitches! Potato peel soup for chow!”
Lt. Howard Maurice Forgy, March 7, 1942, bottom of Pearl Harbor. “Praise the Earth Mother Goddess and polish the ammunition!”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, upon announcing he is confering with his advisors on whether to declare war on Japan, March 7, 1942: “It was a three-month period that will live in infamy!”
George C. Scott, portraying Gen. George S. Patton, “No bastard ever developed an exit strategy by dying for his country. He developed an exit strategy by worrying about how the other poor dumb bastard will croak him in the polls.” (OK, George C. Scott wasn’t a real American leader, but he played one for the camera, just like the current president.)
Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, March 22, 1945, after learning the Germans had retaken Antwerp. “Nuts!”
Adm. Chester Nimitz, June 17, 1945, middle of the Pacific Ocean. “The battle of Iwo Island is being contemplated. The United States Marines might be asked to conquer a base which is, some advisors say, as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward a final exit strategy as it was vital to the enemy in making us want to leave … Among the Americans who might serve on Iwo Island, uncommon valor may yet be a common virtue.”
Harry S. Truman, Nov. 6, 1945. “For three months we’ve been mulling dropping one bomb on Hiroshima, with the power of more than 20,000 tons of TNT … If they do not now accept our terms they may expect us to further mull a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack may, conceivably, follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen. It depends on whether we come up with an exit strategy. They should know we’re very seriously thinking about it.”
John F. Kennedy, Sept. 26, 1963, in Bonn. “Lassen Sie mich an dieser ’Berliner’ Ding ein bischen denken.”
Ronald Reagan, Nov. 10, 1989. “Mr. Gorbachev, about that wall, I’ll get back to you.”
George H.W. Bush, Nov. 6, 1990. “This aggression, you know, whatever.”
George W. Bush, Jan. 21, 2004. “You’re either with John Kerry or you’re against us.”
Commentary:
Surber, hurtfully: “Unilateral Dithering.”
Gateway: clearly Brits don’t grasp hope and change.
HotAir: We have only 12 months to finish the job … three months ago.
Legal Insurrection: “Is finish the job the new peace with honor?”
Powerline: False choice or false alternative.
Chris Cilliza, WP’s The Fix: Poll-y Anna. … OK, that’s not exactly how he put it.
FireDogLake, without apparent irony:
President Obama held a final war council meeting before the holidays last night, and it looked from the timing that it could be decisive.
What the heck is a FireDogLake, anyway … pooch piddle flambé?
(Care to comment? Use the “contact” link to assure me you are a real human being interested in commenting on the topics at hand. Include your preferred screenname and temporary password. Lefty Kumbayah singers, moderate handwringers, meanspirited rightwingers all welcome. This is a free speech zone as long as you keep it clean and make an effort to be accurate.)
Topics: Afghanistan, Obama, history
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:09 am Comments (5) on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
5 Responses to ““I Have Seen The Enemy And I’m Thinking About It””
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November 25th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
BFB (Bloody F***en Brilliant!)
November 25th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
:-)
Inspired. Leftwing patriotic dissidents (esp. if they are college-age) probably won’t get the historical references, however.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden: Reagan never said, “Mr. Gorbachev, about that wall, I’ll get back to you.” [...]
November 25th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Gerry Rafshoon once told then President Carter when Carter was to appear in Frankfurt to say “Ich bin ein Frankfurter.”
He should have done it.
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:57 am
[...] a nod to Jules Crittenden, and a tip of the cap to Silvio Canto Jr., I offer these words of wisdom from Sir Winston Churchill [...]