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Post-War Occupations: A History Lesson

I have long compared the Iraq War to World War II, at least in some respects, going all the way back before it started. Interestingly, the post-war occupation we are mired in now has even more parallels than the war itself. Big kudos to Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, David Stafford at the Washington Post, and Jessica’s Well for illustrating this better than I ever could.

Thanks to our lackluster education system here in the United States, most of us don’t realize that the post-war occupation in Germany lasted ten years and was marked with violence, social strife, financial ruin, and more before that war-torn nation finally got back on its feet and our troops could go home. Meanwhile, if you view the Jessica’s Well link above, the press at home in the U.S. wasn’t too favorable toward the occupation—”Americans are Losing the Victory in Europe” blared the headline in the January 7, 1946, issue of Life Magazine.

So before you judge the post-war occupation in Iraq too harshly, read up on the history of post-war occupations in Germany and Japan following World War II. Keep it all in just a little bit of perspective.

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.