Iraq is the New Vietnam

Some columists over at Slate continue the "quagmire" drumbeat. Some of their analysis is interesting, although they almost seem to be complaining that our medical technology is saving soldiers lives. This particular paragraph is especially misleading though.

http://politics.slate.msn.com/id/2111432/

The Hue comparison is illuminating. In Hue, three Marine battalions (roughly 3,000 men) plunged into a vicious house-to-house fight with 12,000 North Vietnamese, ultimately routing them after suffering harsh losses. In April 2004, three Marine battalions attacked several thousand terrorists in Fallujah and were days away from taking the city when the White House called off the attack. In November, three new Marine battalions joined two Army mechanized infantry battalions in a sweeping attack to retake the city. They succeeded, although outbreaks of fighting continue. While the North Vietnamese fought a coordinated defensive battle for Hue City until they were annihilated, the terrorists in Fallujah fought in small packs, hiding among the tens of thousands of structures in the "city of mosques." In the three-week battle for Hue, 147 Marines were killed and 857 wounded. In the twin battles for Fallujah, more than 104 soldiers and Marines have been killed and more than 1,100 wounded in a battle that will continue to take lives, like the three Marines who encountered yet another pocket of fighters last week.

Initially this seems accurate, but some smart bloggers come to the rescue and point out some key omissions in the author's piece.

This didn't sound correct to reader Helen Wells. So she googled the battle of Hue and obtained better information. It turns out that, yes, 147 Marines were killed at Hue. Along with 74 Army soldiers and 384 ARVN. Thus, total deaths on our side at Hue were nearly six times higher than in Fallujah. And even if, in Kerryesque fashion, one decides to exclude the deaths of our Vietnamese allies, the ratio is two to one.

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/009077.php

Another Economic Comparison

There has been much talk about the national debt the last few years. Personally, I believe that it needs to be reduced, or at least its growth must slow. Even more-so with the recent fall of the dollar on the currency markets. We also need to look at it in perspective though. It terms of our economy we do not have a record national debt, in fact we are not even close.

Public debt in relation to a country's GDP

France: 68.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Germany: 64.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Canada: 77% of GDP (2004 est.)
Italy: 106.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Japan: 154.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
US: 62.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

An Economic Comparison

For all of those "Worst economy since Herbert Hoover" naysayers.

Jobless, Permanently? Long-term unemployed (12 months or more) as a percentage of total unemployed, 2002
U.S. 8.6%
Britain 23.1%
Japan 30.8%
France 33.8%
Germany 47.9%
Italy 59.2%

Source: OECD

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html

Editorial O' the Day

From the often must-read Victor Davis Hanson. A little advice to the left. Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, you have to admit they need a little help.

http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson200412300838.asp

As the old politics lie in ruin from hypocrisy and incoherence, the Left needs to get a new life. Here are a few more suggestions:

Remember that multilateral inaction — whether in the Balkans, Rwanda, or Darfur — is often
calculated, selfish, and far more lethal to millions than risky interventions like removing the
Taliban and Saddam.

Quit idolizing Europe. It was a far larger arms merchant to Saddam than was the United States; it supplied most of Dr. Khan’s nuclear laboratory; it financed much of the Oil-for-Food
scandal; and it helped to create and tolerate the Balkans genocide. It has never freed any
country or intervened to remove fascism and leave behind democracy — silly American notions that are to be caricatured except when it is a matter of saving Europeans.

Stop seeing an all-powerful United States behind every global problem. China is on the move and far more likely to disrupt environmental protocols, cheat on trade accords, and bully
neighbors. The newly expanded Europe has a larger population and aggregate economy, stronger currency, and far less in trade and budget debts than does the United States — and is already using that economic clout for its own interests, not global freedom from dictators
and autocrats.

Don't believe much of what the U.N. says anymore. Its secretary general is guilty of either malfeasance or incompetence, its soldiers are often hired thugs who terrorize those they are supposed to protect, and its resolutions are likely to be anti-democratic and anti-Semitic. Its
members include dozens of nations whose odious representatives we would not let walk inside the doors of the U.S. Congress. The old idea of a United Nations was inspiring, the current
reality chilling.

Stop seeing socialists and anti-Americans as Democrats. When a Michael Moore compares beheaders to our own Minutemen and laments that too many Democrats were in the World Trade Center, he deserves no platform alongside Wesley Clark or a seat next to Jimmy
Carter or praise for his pseudo-dramas from high Democrats. Firebrands like Al Sharpton
and Michael Moore are the current leftist equivalents of 1950s right-wing extremists
like the John Birchers. They should suffer the same fate of ostracism, not bemused and tacit approval.

Ignore most grim international reports that show the United States as stingy, greedy, or uncaring based on some esoteric formula that makes a Sweden or Denmark out as the world's savior. Such "studies" always ignore aggregate dollars and look at per capita public
giving, and yet somehow ignore things like over $100 billion to Afghanistan
and Iraq or $15 billion pledged to fight AIDS in Africa. These academic white papers
likewise forget private donations, because most of the American billionaires who
give to global causes of various sorts do so as either individuals or through foundations. No mention is made of the hundred of millions that are handled by American Christian
charities. And the idea of a stingy America never mentions about $200 billion of the Pentagon's
budget, which does things like keeping the Persian Gulf open to world commerce; protecting Europe; ensuring that the Aegean is free of shooting and that the waters between China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are relatively tranquil; and stopping nasty folk like the Taliban and Saddam
from blowing up more Buddha monuments, desecrating Babylon, or ruining the ecology of the
Tigris-Euphrates wetlands.

Action and results, not rhetoric and intentions, are what matter. Cease blaming others for
declining popularity. There is neither a Karl Rove conspiracy nor an envisioned red-state
theocracy. No, the problem with our Left is what killed the dinosaurs: a desire to plod on
to oblivion in a rapidly evolving world.

Stupid Liberal O' the Day

Ramsey Clarke once again shows why Darwinism is suspect. One of the more memorable remnants of the Carter Administration. It just amazes me how people can justify supporting monsters like Milosevic and Hussein. Even the Serbs think Slobo is a poseur. This guy is starting to give lawyers a bad name!

Former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark is to join Saddam Hussein's defence team, a spokesman for the ousted Iraqi president's lawyers says.
Ziad Khasawna said on Wednesday that Clark, who held the office of attorney-general under US president Lyndon Johnson, had "honoured and inspired" the legal team by agreeing to help defend Saddam.

The former top US justice official, who arrived on Tuesday in Jordan where the defence team is based, has become known as a left-wing lawyer and firm critic of US foreign policy since leaving office.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/11388BFC-9290-4141-B0E1-BEA75A1B20F8.htm

Big News O' the Day

The big news of the day is the tsunami in SE Asia, and criticism of the US response to it. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041229/D879EB6O0.html Personally, I think the US should spend more on foreign aid, it buys us good press and is a lot cheaper than sending the Marines, but at the same time we do more than anyone else as it is, so back off commie weenie liberals! We already sent an aircraft carrier and 6 C-130's. What are the French going to do, send a rowboat and a piper cub? All sarcasm aside, this was a horrible disaster and we should do everything to help. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims.

Grand Opening

Welcome to the grand opening of the best blog on the web. Well OK, I doubt I will be bringing down Dan Rather any time soon, but maybe I will come up with something interesting to say. You never know. Watch this spot for commentary and news in the field of foreign affairs, the military, politics and economics. The truth will be found, it is blatently obvious.