Blogs > Liberty and Power > Historical Analogies We're Condemned to Repeat

Apr 14, 2004

Historical Analogies We're Condemned to Repeat




Shorter Iraq War Debate:

Doves: Vietnam.

Hawks: No, Munich.

Doves: Vietnam!

Hawks: MUNICH!!

Longer Iraq War Debate:

Some interesting historical examples of "successful" counterinsurgencies from Tacitus, the thinking man's hawk. Scare quotes are mine, not his, for reasons you can probably figure out for yourself.



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Jonathan Dresner - 4/14/2004

Nothing like stripping the argument down to its core to reveal its fundamental unwinnability.

Interestingly, both are variations on "history repeats itself no matter what you do" when our policy is largely based on "history won't repeat itself this time even though we're not doing anything different."