Killing Time

Why Hizbollah is winning

Which, remarkably enough, is very similar to why American is losing in Iraq, too.

'Bombing people causes overwhelming anger at the bombers. It is the triumph of hope over experience that Israeli bombs dropping on Lebanese people will cause them to be angry at Hezbollah rather than the Israelis.

Both politically and militarily, Israel seems to be making this up as it goes along. Maybe that’s why Charles Krauthammer said on the “Beltway Boys” last night that Israel seems not yet to have implemented a strategy.

But Hezbollah has. Like Robert E. Lee fighting U.S. Grant, Hezbollah wins as long as it doesn’t lose. Conversely, Israel loses if it does not win. Today, sixteen days into the war, Israel has carried the fight into Hezbollah’s territory, but is not making obvious progress on the ground. Israel has wreaked incredible destruction upon Lebanon’s infrastructure, but there is no obvious connection between the deep air campaign and the progress, or lack of it, on the ground.

posted by Brendan @ 11:58 AM