As far as respecting the rules of engagement, that is a western construct. It is impossible to expect people to respect an idea that they feel has no legitimacy. Law must have its basis in consensus or it will not be followed. People choose to follow laws only if they feel them to be just or representing a just or legitimate power. Anyway, I'm not sure why anyone thought it would be different. The Koreans did it, the Viet Cong did it. I mean the word is out, guerrilla warfare is the way to outlast the American military. The American public has little patience for a long, costly war, and our enemies know that. our enemies know us better than we know them. The whole rhetoric of we they can't win militarily is totally, utterly BS. You win politically or you don't win at all. Read 'On War' by Clausewitz. It is basically the military bible. The theme - war is an extension of politics. BTW, Rush is a nice speaker and good manipulator, but not the most logical guy in the world. I heard him one day say that 'Fox News and this show constantly beat the liberals.' This implies that the news is for sale to the highest bidders. Now thats democratic. I have heard him say some other choice pieces of idiocy that some 'dittoheads' swallow up like arsenic laced koolaid. I always thought dittohead was ironic. Who wants to be someone that repeats everything the person before them said. I guess dittohead kinda means programmed robots.
BTW, since when were liberals weak. Che Guevara and Fidel Castro took over a whole country with less than 100 men. Of course, they weren't the most moral of individuals, but still, less than 100 men. Of course morality has rarely figured into any decision amongst political leaders, including in the US.
Tiger Toy is correct on several points here, on others... not so much. Yes insurgents do not follow laws of war (different than rules of engagement by the way), I wouldn't if I was one. However not following those rules by say taking civilian captives and then cutting their heads off, would mean you can't complain when you in turn are not treated humanely. They still complain regularly however. It is a one or the other thing as far as I am concerned. I wouldn't expect any culture that has several words for exhuming a dead body and then dragging it around the streets to follow any laws of war.
It is pretty much an accepted fact that an insurgency can beat the American public, not the military, but the public opinion. The American sense of justice and respect for human life will not allow the military to fight fire with fire, nor will it allow a long war. If there were a few less liberals that cared about our enemy, and supported the troops instead, I think we'd have a shot.
As for liberals being weak, no, they just have a different take on some issues and gasp sometimes they are right. As an afterthought if Castro is an example of liberal strength I think I'd re-examine my association with the word LIBERAL.
