Comments on: The Unexpected Success of the Surge http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/05/31/the-unexpected-success-of-the-surge.html High-minded, fanatically malthusian perspectives Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:18:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan tdaxp http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/05/31/the-unexpected-success-of-the-surge.html/comment-page-1#comment-82046 Dan tdaxp Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:55:52 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/?p=5607#comment-82046 Justin, Here it may be useful to compare Iraq to Syria, another neighboring country with many of the same systemic problems as Iraq. Certainly it would be foolish to expect Iraq to approach western levels of development soon, just as it would be simplistic to expect Syria to do so. Nonetheless, Syria is not currently experiencing a high-intensity insurgency. Indeed, many countries in dire straits are not. So the Surge is working -- I believe violence has now been as a 4-year low for a solid month, partially because of our efforts and partially because of the Iraqi pacification of Basra -- and while victory of course brings its own troubles, we would rather have the problems of victory than the problems of defeat. That said, Iraq remains in the Gap. Justin,

Here it may be useful to compare Iraq to Syria, another neighboring country with many of the same systemic problems as Iraq. Certainly it would be foolish to expect Iraq to approach western levels of development soon, just as it would be simplistic to expect Syria to do so. Nonetheless, Syria is not currently experiencing a high-intensity insurgency. Indeed, many countries in dire straits are not.

So the Surge is working — I believe violence has now been as a 4-year low for a solid month, partially because of our efforts and partially because of the Iraqi pacification of Basra — and while victory of course brings its own troubles, we would rather have the problems of victory than the problems of defeat.

That said, Iraq remains in the Gap.

]]> By: Justin Boland http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/05/31/the-unexpected-success-of-the-surge.html/comment-page-1#comment-81041 Justin Boland Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:26:25 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/?p=5607#comment-81041 It seems to me -- and I am an ignorant hick -- that the surge is just a temporary supression of violence, and fails to address the desperation and poverty that's the root cause of the violence. In the long run, things could get much uglier. It seems to me — and I am an ignorant hick — that the surge is just a temporary supression of violence, and fails to address the desperation and poverty that’s the root cause of the violence. In the long run, things could get much uglier.

]]> By: Yes, we are winning (sort of) « Stephen Pampinella http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/05/31/the-unexpected-success-of-the-surge.html/comment-page-1#comment-80492 Yes, we are winning (sort of) « Stephen Pampinella Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:46:44 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/?p=5607#comment-80492 [...] June 2, 2008 Dan Tdaxp. The Unexpected Success of the Surge. [...] [...] June 2, 2008 Dan Tdaxp. The Unexpected Success of the Surge. [...]

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