A War of Perseverance
By Tara Ross
Americans are an impatient people. We seethe when waiters are too slow with our food. We can’t stand to wait in long lines. We gripe when we get stuck in traffic jams. And when a war “drags on” for more than a few months, we stop supporting both the war and the President who started it.
Americans dislike delays, mistakes, and hardship. We want what we want, and we want it yesterday. We thus have shown no ability to endure as the Iraqis’ war for freedom drags into its third year.
Where would we be if a similar display of impatience had ruled the day during America’s own quest for freedom in 1776? Imagine the headlines that would have confronted General George Washington on a daily basis:
“War Drags on for Fourth Year: Members of Continental Congress Warn of ‘Quagmire’”
“Worried Colonists Demand Exit Strategy”
“Embattled Philadelphians Demand Washington’s Resignation”
“Cost of War Soars: Continental Army Shoeless & Bankrupt”
The American Revolution was a long, drawn-out affair. At times, the war went very badly. The American army of ragtag volunteers was battling an army of professionally trained British soldiers. Washington faced severe supply shortages and problems with the troops’ morale. Moreover, he was a relatively inexperienced general, and he made many basic mistakes.
Americans ultimately won their battle for independence, but it wasn’t due to military perfection. Instead, the Revolution was won because of unwavering endurance, particularly on the part of the American general. Washington did not see hardships or mistakes as a reason for continual condemnation and griping. Instead, Washington learned from bad circumstances when they occurred, and he forged ahead.
Modern-day Americans should follow in the footsteps of their first, great Commander in Chief. They should persevere, even if the war appears to be going poorly. They should not constantly fume over the question of whether mistakes were made. Of course mistakes were made. Mistakes will be made in any war. Fairer questions are, first, whether a good faith effort is underway; and, second, whether decisions were reasonable at the time they were made.
In the war on terror, the answer to both of these latter questions is “yes.” The President may or may not have been mistaken about weapons of mass destruction and other issues, but any mistakes that he made were honest. For those who disagree with the President’s decision in retrospect, remember that hindsight is twenty-twenty. The President acted on the information available to him, and he did so in a reasonable fashion.
We should no longer be debating the question of whether American forces should be engaged in this particular war. The public policy debate over the wisdom of entering Iraq concluded more than two years ago. A decision has been made, and we must get behind our President and troops. We must use every last effort to win, regardless of whether we initially argued for or against the invasion of Iraq. Those who actively and strenuously argue against the war effort, once it has begun, risk offering aid and comfort to our enemies.
George Washington exhibited great stamina throughout the time of the Revolution—even though his countrymen didn’t always support him. Public support often waned, and some colonists griped that war should not have been declared against Britain in the first place. Washington knew the danger of this impatience, and he combated it actively. Ultimately, his leadership saved the war effort. Without him, our country might not exist.
Wars are always hard. No one likes to see soldiers die, and there are times when it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If we persevere, though, we can be ultimately victorious. If we give up halfway through the task, we are destined to lose.
Like Washington, we must encourage stamina in our fellow countrymen.
Tara Ross is a regular columnist for The American Enterprise Online and the author of Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College.
