On the final leg of this flight we must now remember that we have doctored photos with stories based upon those photos. The photos have been pulled but what about the stories? They stand as statements of history.

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Hezbullah can certainly spin and control the media, but they can’t win the real war on the ground. From RWN:The point is very simpl …

For viewers here in the States, it would be helpful if media outlets could at least close-caption their Hezbollah propaganda clips as such. And if he were around today, I’m pretty sure Eason Jordan would approve.

I call CBS, CNN & Reuters the Axis of Equivalence.

For viewers here in the States, it would be helpful if media outlets could at least close-caption their Hezbollah propaganda clips as such. And if he were around today, I’m pretty sure Eason Jordan would approve…

Which side would you rather bet on? The side that looks to be grinding out a victory? Or the side being lauded for standing and fighting unsucessfully?

The IDF might be guilty of insufficient vigor. Presuming that one can peer into the councils of war and “know” what the actual campaign plan is supposed to be. But the facts on the ground are pretty clear that the IDF has adapted to circumstances and continues to pursue its objectives. Limited thought those objectives might be.

I don’t have a good read on the tactics or strategic goals of Hezbollah. But a review of the action on the ground and casualty lists points to defeat in some form.

One lesson we Americans have internalized from our Vietnam experience is the vulnerability of US public opinion to enemy propaganda. COL Harry S. Summers analysis of “we were never defeated on the battlefield, but in the streets of the US” is an accurate summary as far as it goes. But like all one sentence conclusions, it’s nothing more than a handy axiom or rule of thumb. Summers was largely right, but all he did was re-discover Clauswitz. That there is more to warfare than just the clash of armies. There are whole political and social dimensions that must be considered. But the importance of those other dimensions is not consistent throughout history.

War in popular democracies is certainly more difficult to sustain over time. Free citizens are not above questioning the value of a continued investment of national treasure and manhood in a cause. Free citizens are impatient for results. Remember, their business is business not warfare.

Tyrannies are much easier to manage during war. Tyrannies have the power to harness the entire energy of a nation. The media exist at the sufferance of the state and must go along to get along. Citizens do not have the incentive or liberty to challenge and question the official policy.

I think the west, the transnational elites, the Arab world and the terrorists are deluding themselves that propaganda (ie the information war) is the trump card. Most of these “really smart people” don’t have an appreciation for how much Israel’s strategic position has changed over the past 20 years.

1. Israel is already considered by many to be at least an inconvenient fact on the ground. They are not going to go peacefully into the night.

2. Israel is far less dependent on the US and the west in general for weapons and supplies. Out of necessity, Israel has developed a large and advanced arms industry.

3. Israel trades with many nations. And nations, particularly in Europe might talk tough, but business is after all, business. There is little appetite among the Europeans to cut off their noses to spite Israel.

4. The UN is a toothless tiger. There are no UN divisions. There are no excess funds for peace keeping. Any military force must come from the west. To be more precise, any military force must come from the few western nations that can afford to deploy and support a well trained and equipped professional army for an extended period of time. Name one nation besides Britain and France that has the capability, not to mention the will.

5. Everyone wants to go to heaven. Nobody wants to die.
In this case literally. “The world” wants peace, but there are no nations that want to do the actual hard work of disarming Hezbollah. They want to wish the problem away by passing resolutions.

In summary, what does Israel have to lose by vigorously purusing its campaign plan? Will they be hated less if they halt and accept a cease fire? Will Iran suddenly recognize the right of Israel to exist? Will they be embraced by the the world community? Will Hezbollah disarm in the spirit of the brotherhood of man?

Lastly, Hezbollah owes us a debt of honor for the bombing of the Marine barracks. I take some small pleasure in seeing them paid back in their own coin. Now if we can just figure out a way to balance the books with Iran….