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It was 1941. The dark days of the war; Britain stood alone. And Winston Churchill convened a parliamentary commission on how to administer a defeated Germany. It turned out, as we know, to have been a prescient move. The group had four years to fully plan the aftermath of the war - rebuilding a German civil society, a re-education programme for former Nazis, plans for a constitution and a democratic government.
So it was when Hitler was killed on the steps of the Reichstag defending Germany to his last breath* there was a plan for what to do next, and I don't think anyone can say it didn't work well. I recall once chatting to a fellow in a Regimental Museum who'd worked in one of the schools they set up to educate ex-Nazis about civilisation; he once asked one "What do you think?" about a certain subject only to be met with a look of surprise.
"Nobody ever asked me that before", was the reply.
On the other hand, in 2002 Tony Blair only convened a committee on how to administer a defeated Iraq 48 hours before the fall of Baghdad, and we know how that worked out.
Anyone who thinks we can't remove Assad from power in Syria is wrong. If the US, UK and their French lucky mascot decide to take him out he'll be gone by the end of the week. The important question to be asking is not whether we should, because your and my opinion will have precisely no bearing whatsoever on that,but what's the plan for what happens next?
For that matter - *is* there a post-victory plan, because nobody at all has mentioned one?
*thats what they broadcast on German radio, anyway, followed by Bruchners's 8th symphony.
So it was when Hitler was killed on the steps of the Reichstag defending Germany to his last breath* there was a plan for what to do next, and I don't think anyone can say it didn't work well. I recall once chatting to a fellow in a Regimental Museum who'd worked in one of the schools they set up to educate ex-Nazis about civilisation; he once asked one "What do you think?" about a certain subject only to be met with a look of surprise.
"Nobody ever asked me that before", was the reply.
On the other hand, in 2002 Tony Blair only convened a committee on how to administer a defeated Iraq 48 hours before the fall of Baghdad, and we know how that worked out.
Anyone who thinks we can't remove Assad from power in Syria is wrong. If the US, UK and their French lucky mascot decide to take him out he'll be gone by the end of the week. The important question to be asking is not whether we should, because your and my opinion will have precisely no bearing whatsoever on that,but what's the plan for what happens next?
For that matter - *is* there a post-victory plan, because nobody at all has mentioned one?
*thats what they broadcast on German radio, anyway, followed by Bruchners's 8th symphony.
