All Hank, all the time.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
What do you do when the enemy is a civilian? Terrorists, insurgents, call them what you will, they don't wear uniforms.

These guys are ahead of us, because they know that the US (and Israeli) military are set up to fight other militaries. But they changed the rules. They don't wear uniforms, and no, they are not going to come out and fight like men. They are going to continue setting off roadside bombs and firing from mosques and using civilians as shields because - guess what - it works.

Now we have to adapt to that. We have to add a capability to wage war on a closer, more face to face level. We need to be fighting and winning hearts and minds wars, because just blowing people up on the off chance you'll hit an insurgent or Hezbollah is like using a hammer for brain surgery. And we have to do that while maintaining awareness of what distinguishes us from them.

We can start in Iraq by saying "Fuck the candy - we're handing out cheeseburgers and triple-chocolate milk shakes." Drop Shakira video collection DVDs from the air, and every kid under the age of 18 gets a Super Soaker. iPods for everyone. Drown 'em in American pop culture, and bring the troops home!

The enemy isn't a civilian, just because she isn't wearing a uniform. And you're right. Fighting an enemy like that has to be done face-to-face, so you can shoot the ones with guns an rockets and give the iPod or evacuate the ones who don't have guns and rockets.

I also don't think that handing out cheeseburgers or Shakira DVDs is the answer either.

The answer lies more in setting up kibbutzes in the Palestinian territories, digging wells, and keeping the warlords from appropriating the product. It also involves taking the IDF troops off the checkpoints, so that brother can visit brother.

It involves setting up courts to deal with discrimination on both sides, and building schools that teach people trades and give them opportunities. Young men who don't have jobs or schools to go to have nothing to do but hang out, get bitter, and serve as fodder for the Hamas recruiters.

If you're going to build a nation, you have to build as well as police. And if we aren't ready to spend the money to buy real peace, and live with the body counts until we get it, then we need to back the fuck off and get out of the Middle East entirely.