Hawks and Doves
Liberals have always been good at "framing the debate." During the Vietnam war the internal debate in the Defense Department was between those who argued for a more effective use of force and those who argued for a more restrained use of force. Those who argued for restraint, were not arguing that there should be no war. They wanted to limit the impact of the war in the region, in the mistaken assumption that restraint would limit casualties. In fact restraint increased the casualties to both sides and created a "quagmire." Those arguing for a more effective use of force, wanted to take decesive action to prevent the North Vietnamese conquest. In the debate those favoring a more effective use of force were the "hawks" and the restrainers were the "doves." In the real world, the effective use of force cost fewer lives and takes less resources in the long run, restraint is the real killer.
Liberals have always been good at "framing the debate." During the Vietnam war the internal debate in the Defense Department was between those who argued for a more effective use of force and those who argued for a more restrained use of force. Those who argued for restraint, were not arguing that there should be no war. They wanted to limit the impact of the war in the region, in the mistaken assumption that restraint would limit casualties. In fact restraint increased the casualties to both sides and created a "quagmire." Those arguing for a more effective use of force, wanted to take decesive action to prevent the North Vietnamese conquest. In the debate those favoring a more effective use of force were the "hawks" and the restrainers were the "doves." In the real world, the effective use of force cost fewer lives and takes less resources in the long run, restraint is the real killer.
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