American Raid in Syria

Skybird · 10-28-08, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baggygreen

Some of the posts in the thread highlights why we will never 'win' this war.

We're trying to fight with rules, regulations, under extremely close scrutiny, and with a standard of morals and ethics. arguably the war could be all over now, if the west didnt care for civilian lives and just went in all guns blazing, killing anything that was deemed a threat. The west values human life however, and this would be simply unjustifiable. It actually goes out of its way to spare 'collateral damage'

On the other hand, our enemy cares nothing for innocent lives, or for fighting within any ruleset. they'll quite happily blow up a city block to try kill 1 man. Whilst the west is targetting just against the extremists/militants/whatever, they are fighting against every single westerner.

For us to win, is nigh on impossible - there are too many conditions that need to be met, too many rules to stop us achieving goals. For them to win, its relatively easy - kill or convert every one of us.

What you actually outline is that civilisational progress and war are mutually exclusive. And I agree with that. there is no such thing like a "civilised way of war". thge higher developed a civilistion is in morals, the less capable it is to wage war itself.

The higher developed a civilisation is, the less it tends to waging war itself, but let proxies fight wars in its place. Civilised people do not kill with their own hands, but they will the dying of others and let the killing happen, committed by others. Linked to this is the expectation not to be worried by details of war, instead being saved the bloody details and instead left to one's own polished mental image of how clena and tidy it could be done.

I honestely do not believe in being civilised. It's a hypocritic lie. Some other things are far more important, I think. Honesty. Trustworthiness. Reliability. Strength. In peaceful and martial intentions: determination, and courage. For being considered to be civilised i can buy myself nothing.