RE: [Marxism] Army War College publishes critique of Iraq war, ' war on terrorism'

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, I certainly agree with Mark Lause on this.  Perhaps I should
have written an introduction along the lines of Mark's comments, but I
really thought the significance of this, and of its source (both in
the military and the hardest pro-Pentagon wing of the Democrats),
would be obvious.

It is highly unlikely also that this kind of critique would appear if
the occupation was a clear success; if the resistance in Iraq did not
represent a real social and political, as well as military, force --
something more than "remnants" of a regime that clear had a narrow
base of support in the country as a whole;  and if the vaunted
"volunteer" highly-trained-and-motivated army was functioning clearly
well and successfully.

Isn't it striking that anonymous officials are describing the army as
"broken" -- what an extreme statement! -- so early in the conflict?  I
never heard that sort of thing about the army in Vietnam until months
after the Tet Offensive. Sounds like a  certain "syndrome" -- not an
illness actually, but a conquest in the class struggle -- is still
alive.

The only alternative explanation I have heard was from Martin Koppel
of the Militant, who gave us all his personal guarantee that the US
military was in top form, the occupation was an unreserved success,
and that the "mostly liberal media" and the Democrats were lying  to
us in a dirty attempt to convince us that the occupation was going
badly. They were motivated in this deliberate sabotage of the war
being waged for their class by a blind and desperate lust to defeat
the man who had led the government in accomplishing such great
advances for the US imperialists, President George W. Bush.

This is a truly screwball explanation, of course.  If Bush 's victory
and the "volunteer army" were such clear-cut success stories, as
Koppell insisted, the liberal Democrats would be getting ready to
throw the election -- they may yet do so anyway -- and the "mostly
liberal media" would be deserting them in droves (which may also
happen by November, depending in part on how the war goes for the
rulers).
Fred Feldman


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