It's Like Deja Vu Time In The MidEast Again.

Maybe politicians feel that history books are for suckers, and this explains why they don't bother to read them very much. But after the Vietnam War disaster for the U.S., Israel had plenty of opportunity to learn, but instead invaded Lebanon in 1978 and for a longer time in 1982 and for years after, becoming it's own Vietnam. The U.S. had an opportunity to learn from all of these examples, but instead followed the one man foreign policy of George Bush to start a new war with Iraq in 2003, leaving our nation in a new Vietnam in Iraq, with terrorist and radical Muslim elements right between a red hot rising sectarain conflict. Israel had the opportunity to learn from all of these examples, including their own past experience, but instead opted against better judgement to repeat their own mistakes of the past.

And already Israel is facing a similar situation as the U.S. experience in Iraq, where Israeli vesrions of John McCain are already beginning to argue that "not enough troops" have been called up and that's why the war with Hezbollah terrorists is dragging out without much success. Instead of reasoning that the war was a bad idea to begin with, the countervailing wisdom is to claim that "not enough troops" were involved in the military mistake. That sure makes a great deal of sense.

Just like the U.S., public support for the war is slowly dropping in Israel, down from 94% ten days ago, to 84% now. Support the troops efforts are already beginning, with efforts to send Kosher meals to the front lines troops. Israeli flags are seen all over Tel Aviv and other cities to bolster patriotism and the war effort.

But like the U.S. problems in Iraq, Israel is finding that one of the best armies in world has so far failed to stop just 2,000 or 3,000 Hezbollah terrorists, and about 100 Hezbollah rockets still fall on Israel each day. And ground combat with these terrorists is difficult and bloody. And the more Israel does to combat Hezbollah, likely more young men volunteer to fight for this terrorist militia.

If anything, the political leadership of both Israel and the U.S. seem intent on repeating the failed model of the Vietnam War, where a losing long term effort of a first rate military fighting low budget guerillia forces who seem to win the war by simply withstanding the best efforts of the U.S. or Israel after they tire of a conflict and eventually walk away.

I don't claim to have all the answers. But something different is needed, because repeating the same mistakes over and over has not achieved very much. It's like Deja Vu all over again. The same predictable outcome once more.