Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Andy Thomas who wrote (6507)	5/3/1999 2:31:00 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

There are two main problems that are attributable to politicians:1.)The urge to play at being a general. The classic example is Johnson's insistence on choosing bombing sites;2.)The imposition of considerations which so far compete with the imperatives of a successful mission that the chances of success are severely imperilled. Even great men are not immune to the temptation to attempt to play general. Churchill originated the WWI fiasco at Gallipoli, through his influence as Lord of the Admiralty, and he never got over his conviction that the Dardanelles were important, and that the Balkans were the "soft underbelly of Europe", so that he continually pressed for an invasion in that area, although he was fortunately over-ruled. Even leaders who are sensitive to the need to shape strategic considerations according to the best lights of military expertise are sometimes forced by larger political considerations to hamper the successful prosecution of a mission. Thus, George Bush called off Desert Storm earlier than Schwarzkopf thought wise because many of the allies in the coalition would have bolted if we had marched on Baghdad, and he calculated that there was no political support for a drawn out occupation. Take someone with less judgement, experience, and character than the leaders cited, such as Bill Clinton, and the results can be disastrous...