A soldier’s thoughts

Interesting piece here, by “Badger 6″, an officer based in Al Anbar province in Iraq. He feels neither the World War II comparison with its simple moral clarity, nor the Vietnam analogy with its disputed motives and defeatist tone, resonate with him.

I tend to agree, but for a different reason: many comparisons to prior wars - be they WWII or Vietnam - are hopelessly simplistic. Yes, there are parallels to be drawn, some of them profound, but many of the analogies I hear betray a shallow grasp of history (or none at all).

So maybe Badger 6 is right: in the post-9/11 conflict, we should wake up, analyse the threat with new eyes and reject the comfortable and familiar narratives. Go read it.