Whereas now we go into combat hoping for zero casualties and regard any loss whatever as proof of unforgivable incompetence, the history of warfare is mostly a chronicle of high casualties and terrible sacrifice.Read it here.
A "Former Spook" offers some perspective.
Over 50,000 Americans died during World War I, despite our late entry into that conflict. More than 300,000 perished during World War II; the Korean War claimed another 30,000 military personnel and 58,000 died during Vietnam. By comparison, the number of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan now totals just over 4,000 (in 73 months of combat), a testament to improvements in tactics and training, better protective gear and advances in combat medicine.Read it here.
In fact it is difficult to find in the annals of warfare any major conflict fought as efficiently and effectively as the current war in Iraq. The war effort should stand as an example of effectiveness and competence rather than the converse.
What is most disappointing is that many of the critics of the war effort know better, yet in their zeal to push a political or bureaucratic agenda, or through the simple operation of Bush Derangement Syndrome, they completely ignore or mis-represent the historical context within which this current conflict is being conducted.
