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Jan 5, 2004

History 

It seems that it’s all the rage today to compare President Bush to Adolph Hitler. As we all know by now, the good, kind-hearted folks at MoveOn.org are practically making a living by doing it. I’d link you, but I’ll be damned if I’ll give them even ONE hit.

Seems like everyone wants to compare the world of today – it’s leaders and it’s war – to the world of World War II. I am not left out of this group – I’ve compared Osama and Saddam to Tojo and Hitler (but only in terms of their low IQ’s and military ineptness).

I know it’s been done before, but let’s paint a picture here, shall we? We’ll hold them up side by side. Ready?

Elections:
Bush – Won a hotly contested election in which the Supreme Court enforced standing voting laws in Florida. Has tried to legally appoint judges to Circuit Court positions but has been thwarted at every turn by the minority party. Has NOT circumvented the law to accomplish anything.
Hitler – Became supreme ruler without an election, due to declaration of police state because of things such as the hotly burning embers of the Reichstag fire – which was set by Nazis. Afterwards, local Nazi organizations instigated disorder…… which was then quelled by replacing the elected state government with appointed Nazi Reich Commissioners.
Saddam – Rose to the office of Vice President of Iraq because he was appointed to it by his cousin, the President. Wielded power behind the scenes until he tired of being second fiddle and forced his cousin to resign. There were never any hotly contested elections – Saddam won them all by an impossible margin of better than 99%.

Citizenry:
Bush – Has passed health care bills and has created economic growth through tax cuts. His America is currently detaining less than 1000 people who are suspected terrorists or enemies of the nation and may possess information on the whereabouts or plans of other terrorists.
Hitler – Passed resolutions to purge his whole country, and eventually the entire planet, of Jews, Poles, Russians, and essentially anyone who did not LOOK Aryan. His Germany detained and killed millions of people simply for not being German, or sometimes, for not being German enough.
Saddam – Passed few resolutions at all. Ruled the land through random acts of violence against whomever he felt like abusing. Killed his own people in the hundreds of thousands. Attacked Kuwait, killing thousands. Prior to that went to war with Iran, killing as many as a million.

I could go on about social programs and state powers, but lets face it – President Bush has yet to create anything as diabolical as the “Bush Jugen,” and if he can’t get God back into the classroom, then he’s a long way from having a smiling picture of “Uncle W.” hanging over the blackboards of every school. I think it’s fair to say that the President and Hitler are so far removed from each other that the Mars lander is closer to Adolph than he is. The comparisons between Hitler and Saddam are far too numerous to list, but include participation in attempted coups, imprisonment, and murder. Mein Kampf is reportedly one of Saddam’s favorite books.

You want to compare WARS? Alright, let me break this into a bite size chunk for you. I’ll hold up our current fight in Iraq against just one BATTLE from WWII.

American Casualties:
Iraq – 2862 (482 killed)
Iwo Jima – 26038 (6821 killed)

Days:
Iraq – 277 (9.5 months)
Iwo Jima – 36

Length Iraq war will have to be (at current casualty rates) to equal number of dead at Iwo Jima: 10 years, 9 months

Land area:
Iraq – approx. 168,000 sq miles
Baghdad - approx. 1,544 sq miles
Iwo Jima – 8 sq miles


Let’s not forget that while the fighting at Iwo was particularly bloody it was also fairly straightforward. Yes, there were caves and pillboxes and booby traps. But anyone you saw was an enemy. It moved – it died. There were no city streets, no possible innocents mixed in with the valid targets, no reason to put your own life at further risk by holding your fire. In Iraq, we face those problems. And we are doing an outstanding job.

So to all those who wish to continue to compare today to WWII and call our President a Nazi, and call this war a quagmire – please, by all means, continue to dig that hole of yours a little deeper. History speaks volumes, and right now it’s drowning you out.


UPDATE: Go to Grim's Hall for more On War and those who are unfamiliar with history.

UPDATE 2: When I titled this entry I was sure I'd seen it used before, and I was right. Bill Whittle's History is a far superior read to the stuff I put up above. It's nine months old, but like ALL his stuff it still applies. You want a history lesson?
This war is an abject and utter failure. What everyone thought would be a quick, decisive victory has turned into an embarrassing series of reversals. The enemy, -- a ragtag, badly-fed collection of hotheads and fanatics – has failed to be shocked and awed by the most magnificent military machine ever fielded. Their dogged resistance has shown us the futility of the idea that a nation of millions could ever be subjugated and administered, no matter what obscene price we are willing to pay in blood and money.

The President of the United States is a buffoon, an idiot, a man barely able to speak the English language. His vice president is a little-seen, widely despised enigma and his chief military advisor a wild-eyed warmonger. Only his Secretary of State offers any hope of redemption, for he at least is a reasonable, well-educated man, a man most thought would have made a far, far better choice for Chief Executive.

We must face the fact that we had no business forcing this unjust war on a people who simply want to be left alone. It has damaged our international relationships beyond any measure, and has proven to be illegal, immoral and nothing less than a monumental mistake that will take generations to rectify. We can never hope to subdue and remake an entire nation of millions. All we will do is alienate them further. So we must bring this war to an immediate end, and make a solemn promise to history that we will never launch another war of aggression and preemption again, so help us God.


So spoke the American press. The time was the summer of 1864.
Posted by: Mike the Marine / 17:31
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