DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - I'm beginning to think wars are unwinnable

**wepoiyub** · 10-08-2007, 06:21 AM

Originally posted by Wycoff
Only if a large majority of Tongans didn't mind our being there. If a significant percentage (I'd say 40%+) didn't want the U.S. to rule there, then we'd face armed resistance that would have to be supressed in order to restore order. The candy and flowers approach won't work when there's significant armed resistance, no matter how small the territory to be occupied. How can you contend that 300,000 troops couldn't gradually suppress a mere 40,000 insurgents? Hell, there would be enough personnel on the archipelago to stare down each of its 100,000 occupants 24/7!

My only point is that we have to at least give some consideration to scale instead of making categorical statements.

10-08-2007, 06:21 AM	#18
wepoiyub Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 406 Senior Member	Originally posted by Wycoff Only if a large majority of Tongans didn't mind our being there. If a significant percentage (I'd say 40%+) didn't want the U.S. to rule there, then we'd face armed resistance that would have to be supressed in order to restore order. The candy and flowers approach won't work when there's significant armed resistance, no matter how small the territory to be occupied. How can you contend that 300,000 troops couldn't gradually suppress a mere 40,000 insurgents? Hell, there would be enough personnel on the archipelago to stare down each of its 100,000 occupants 24/7! My only point is that we have to at least give some consideration to scale instead of making categorical statements.
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