It was a hard lesson for the Soviets, and before them the Soldiers of the Queen. I think Kipling’s advice bears repeating as we consider that American casualties are on the rise in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the Forgotten Campaign of the GWOT, where we’re still taking a victory lap in a pool filling with crocodiles.
When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
and the women come out to cut up what remains,
jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
and go to your gawd like a soldier.
-Rudyard Kipling, The Young British Soldier
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And this with the United States (untitled estates?) being the Great Power with the most to gain by victory, and the least to lose by defeat, because France has the largest contingent of Foreign Fighters there, followed by Canada which refused our gracious offer to take over the Management of Iraq on our behalf, and Britain which didn’t, but subsequently pulled out.
Also on the long list of Surrender Monkey Nations which didn’t back “our” play in Iraq, but whose troops outnumber ours in Afghanistan;
Germany and Belgium.
Do you want Freedom Fries with that?
Of course, I’m still waiting for that Great Day when the soldiers get an assfull of being hired killers for Money Grubbing Old Men of every nationality, and stack their rifles neatly, and their uniforms, neatly folded, then drop enough White Phosphorous on the heap to melt it into slag… and walk away naked, praising God and laughing over the Glorious Victory they finally gained the Wisdom and Courage to win.
So I’m not as good a WordeSmythe as Young Rudyard was…
But I try, I really do…