Before I begin, I should say that I strongly oppose Rahm Emanuel's much-criticized plan to compel "civilian service" from young people. The plan is a head tax that does not recognize the differences between people, and is no substitute for recruiting and paying motivated participants. If applied as an adjunct to war it is morally offensive to those opposing a conflict. I know that such plans and worse exist in many small countries like Israel, and in some European countries, but they are not progress.
But what I think that this idea stumbles toward, but widely misses, is the need to refocus military efforts toward constructive ends. Everyone knows for example that the Army Corps of Engineers can build levees. The problem is that somehow in the popular consciousness, people have forgotten that throughout history, wars have most often been won not by the most offensive firepower but by the most competent builders.
Thus the Aegeans defeated Troy not by breaking a wall but by building an impressive horse. Alexander of Macedon took Tyre not by a great navy but by building the long piece of land that still joins the island and mainland. Caesar won the Battle of Alesia by constructing a double wall of fortifications stretching for 20 kilometers around the enemy force in mere weeks. Rebel nations led by Hernan Cortes defeated the Aztecs in part through the construction of thirteen two-masted sailing vessels and their reassembly on Lake Texcoco. Again and again, even in the brutal battles of ancient history, we see that this ability to do tactical construction was paramount. Likewise in recent times, the tunnels of the NVA and al-Qaida greatly assisted their cause.
Now by comparison, what can we say about Iraq? There our country seemed to take the point of view that major goals for normalizing civilian life in Baghdad (like turning the power back on) were optional. Even our own troops were relying on civilian contractors for safe drinking water, and not always getting what they paid for. The overall scope of our ambitions for a construction effort seem very limited, and surely that must have hurt any attempts to win "hearts and minds".
I hope that as Barack Obama takes over as commander in chief, that he will find a way to elevate the constructive power of the military both in the public consciousness and in terms of overall ability. Imagine if the plans were in place to coordinate the military resources to build a new city in the desert, complete with housing, commerce, renewable power, desalination and sewage treatment. What if we could find a way to use or convert tanks and armored personnel carriers and military helicopters to do the jobs of cranes and bulldozers, and have our troops ready to take on a role as builders? They could go into a war zone anywhere in the world, guard refugees from harm, escort them to a safe place, and given any lull in the fighting they could take action to resettle them for the long term. Neighboring countries turn their backs on poor people, not on new cities sprouting from nothing. The military could win a peace as they win a war.
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