Smells like success: "Trying to stem the infiltration of militia fighters, American forces have begun to build a massive concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, the densely populated Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital." Whatever happened to destroying the village in order to save it?
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If It Was Good Enough for Khruschev
18 Apr 2008 10:29 am
Comments (21)
better analogy: Warsaw Ghetto.
starve, bomb, and disease-transmit them into submission and finally into extinction.
Cue David Bowie's "We Could Be Heroes".... ("forevah and evah!")
It seems like this wall is to keep the Militias In Sadr city, not keep them Out, depending entirely on which side of the wall you're on.
On a positive note, concrete suppliers in Iraq will now make enough money to move someplace more peaceful.
Is the difference between in and out really that difficult to grasp?
No, just not that important a distinction. Once you start building walls *within* a country, you've pretty much given up on unifying it.
(Like the wall on our southern border, which is meant to keep illegal immigrants out, or the wall separating Israel from the West Bank, which is meant to keep terrorists out.)
Is the difference between *within a country* and *between countries* really that difficult to grasp?
2008.
Baghdad
is a walled
maximum security
prison.
Breaking out
is impossible.
Breaking in
is insane.
Escape from Sadr City
starring...
Muqtada al-Sadr as Snake Plissken, Dave Petraeus as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk, Michael O'Hanlon as Hauk's manservant and introducing Thomas Friedman as Cabbie
This wall is meant to keep the extremists out.
"Extremists" is where you fall down. You're an "extremist", for example. If you wanted to go to Baghdad [falls down laughing], you'd be welcome to go anywhere you wanted. [gets hernia from laughing]
Didn't Saddam control the 2 million inhabitants of Sadr City without the use of a physical wall?
"Escape from Sadr City
starring...
Muqtada al-Sadr as Snake Plissken, Dave Petraeus as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk, Michael O'Hanlon as Hauk's manservant and introducing Thomas Friedman as Cabbie"
I'm guessing we won't be seeing Adrienne Barbeau in this version...
All this does is create a ghetto (think Warsaw) so that when the time comes to really crack down we know we are only getting the bad people.
They are trying to find an alternative to destroying the village. But, it remains true that the only proven successful anti-insurgency tactic is to kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out. Aka "He left a desert and called it peace."
Berlin Wall?
Maybe Warsaw Ghetto.
Berlin Wall?
Maybe Warsaw Ghetto.
Berlin Wall?
Maybe Warsaw Ghetto.
Berlin Wall?
Maybe Warsaw Ghetto.
Didn't Saddam control the 2 million inhabitants of Sadr City without the use of a physical wall?
Posted by jerri
Why, yes he did! The last time they acted up he turned Sadr City into a free-fire zone and killed 20,000. Relatives are still looking for 5-6 death pits from that episode where Saddam proved you don't need a demeaning "Warsaw Ghetto" like fence/wall combo.
Is that what you propose, Jeri Dearie?
Introducing systemic fear with selected butchery as an example to others - does work. "Hama Rules".
Same with the Mongol model, and the Roman "Carthage" solution, Japanese way of dealing with occupied towns in "insurrection", and the Arab model of systemic forced conversion, Dhimmitude, enslavement, and slaughter choices proffered to the occupied. All
show demonstrated success at eliminating a costy occupation and much of any insurgency.
Pity it is not the American Way. We have probably taken 40% of our casuaties because we have been more sparing of force than any other occupying military facing an armed insurgency and terrorists.
One man can not guard an open field genius.
It worked in Ireland and it'll work in Baghdad.
Well, even more reason for to vote the Sadr trend ticket in October. The slogan - don't let the Americans put you in prison - writes itself. Of course, that depends on if there are elections in October, or if Maliki pulls the dictatorial stunt of canceling, or of saying that only special parties with special militia get to be on the ballot - which will surely be the American adviser option.
The Bush administration is trying to do as much damage as possible, apparently, in order to permanently damage America's interests and image in the Middle East. They have so little time! The war with Iran is out, so the best thing to do is keep the churn going in Iraq - blood, blood, and more blood. I wonder what place the Americans will hold in the future book of atrocities. Will we match the soviets in Afghanistan, or will we surpass them for mass murder, stupidity, and hypocrisy? Hard to say.
"Destroying the village in order to save it" was a fabrication by Peter Arnett, later fired from CNN for fabricating other Vietnam - related stories. (He was a big Saddam fan though)
Joejoejoe wins the thread, with honorable mention for Kevin D - except I nominate Hillary for the Adrienne Barbeau part, so send her to Iraq.
And, Roger, the war with Iran is NOT out. It's very much in the cards. You think Bush will be satisfied with just totally fucking over Iraq when he can fuck over Iran, Syria and Lebanon TOO? Please.
Comments closed May 02, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Why is it that every wall that is built is compared to the Berlin Wall, even though that analogy in precisely wrong almost every time.
The Berlin Wall was built to keep the East Germans in. This wall is meant to keep the extremists out. (Like the wall on our southern border, which is meant to keep illegal immigrants out, or the wall separating Israel from the West Bank, which is meant to keep terrorists out.)
Is the difference between in and out really that difficult to grasp?
Posted by Al | April 18, 2008 10:36 AM