Joho the Blog
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June 01, 2003
Shock and Awe worked. It turned out not to work exactly as advertised in Iraq: the Iraq military didn't fold once they saw our might on display. But that's not what I think the aim of Shock and Awe was. Take Shock and Awe as applying not to the three nights of massive bombing but to the entire Iraqi campaign. Its target wasn't the Iraqi enemy but the rest of the world. And it worked. Our political system is in shock and awe: The Democrats have scattered like ants in shock and awe of the Bush Administration's willingness to lie, threaten and stuff socks down its crotch to get a war that it wanted for reasons it couldn't explain. The world is shocked and awed to learn that the US can and will slam anyone into the sand we want to, no questions asked, no recourse allowed. Shock and awe worked. Posted
by D. Weinberger at June 1, 2003 09:28 AM
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Comments
I heard another way of putting it today (on an interview on the radio this morning). "The terrorists, by attacking the USA were saying 'fuck you, America' - and the Americans responded with 'fuck you back' - and bombed Afghanistan and Iraq." (something like that anyway). This message was for the whole world to hear, I'm sure.
Posted by: Vergil | June 1, 2003 11:39 AM
S&A was for Iran, N. Korea, Syria and anyone else on the fence with terrorism... And I'm sure it didn't make the middle level management in Iraq too confident of Saddam (there wasn't a big fight for Baghdad which could have been a result of S&A).
Posted by: Jon Gales | June 1, 2003 02:19 PM
The real shock and awe comes from watching a small group of fanatics jiu-jitsu the mightiest country in the world into renouncing its heritage, its principles, its allies and its support, and, in excruciating slow motion, carry out its enemies' aims, from defeating a hated regime to galvanizing the muslim world and validating the terrorists' predictions. All this while dissipating its resources in internal witch hunts, reflexive military responses and the pampering of an elite. Mao, Guevara and the rest of those athiest revolutionaries were pretty weak tacticians when compared to bin Laden and the others with God on their side.
Posted by: John | June 1, 2003 11:51 PM