© Bud: Learning from History--The Boer War and the Iraqi War Compared

A little backgrounder, as they say, in the media, is needed. After all, the war did take place a century ago. Young people today refer to the Vietnam War as Tha Great War, so a little detail is needed. The Boers, when they weren't forcefully displacing the blacks in South Africa just wanted to be left alone. The British discovered that besides gold, kimberley was sitting on top of diamonds--not just a girl's best friend, but an empire's best friend. The Boers would simply have to go. But they didn't want to go. Nothing to do but send an expeditionary force to quell the natives. The natives turned out to be superb marksmen. Also they had developed the rudiments of classic guerrilla warfare. The big push to conguer the main cities left their rural areas depleted of forces. The war dragged on and became enormously costly ($26 billion dollars in today's terms). Coffins were sent home by the boatload. But this was still the world of Lord Palmerston, the great champion of colonialism, who once said: "The interests of England are eternal and perpetual. Our duties must be engaged." No weasel words there. When England had to introduce the first of the world's concentration camps, which led to thousands of Boer civilian deaths through infectious diseases, the jingoism wore off. The British had to station numerous troops in SA to combat the resentful Boers. Later in the century, the Boers took control of the country through elections.

So now we are back to Iraq. The Boer War that General Rupert bragged would last no more than six months continued for years. So will this Iraq war. The Sunnis and Shi'ites are sharpening their swords for each others' throats. The Americans will leave and the country will become a giant Lebanon. If you introduce democracy, then the Shi'ites will win, as the Boers did in South Africa. A thug like al-Sadr will take power, Sharia law will become the norm, and the civil war will begin. Nice try America, but I am afraid you will revisit Vietnam again. Again a magnificent effort, but...

© Bud