Chuck Hagel and the post-victory paradigm

What is victory, or defeat, in Iraq? Why do we care if it's one or the other? No, really. To desire victory always seemed axiomatic, but what would it mean now? What comes after victory? Peace? Another struggle? A different struggle? I doubt we'll see any of those with a "victory."

We will have the same struggle. Now that there is a stateless, murderous enemy that fetishizes death, that has no sovereign state to preserve, that is willing to blow itself up and take us with it, is our own victory any less than existence? If not--in other words, if we still exist--that means we already won.

Hey, we won!

Our existence is much more secure with a more united, even if less effective, fight. Alone, we fail states, torture innocent civilians, and prop up a group of bought and sold hacks and call them a government. Without the manpower and moral message that a coaliton brings, we cling to these desperate measures just to salvage our pride. It's too bad we've told the rest of the civilized world to go fuck itself; we could use their help.

h/t tbogg