Jim Butcher Quotes
Go back,” he said. “Can’t. Stand aside?” “Can’t.” “So it’s like that?” I said. Fix exhaled. Then he nodded. “Yeah.” And for the first time in a decade the Winter Knight and Summer Knight went to war.
Butcher, Jim. Cold Days. Roc Books, 2012.
The general was expressing a principle that is believed to this day by many policy makers, military people and civilians: Once a war has begun, one must not stop it until victory has been attained. It is unacceptable to negotiate an end to hostilities unless the enemy has been badly beaten on the battlefield. There is this view that “honor” would be lost and that enemies and even allies will not respect you and think the nation is weak and fearful. So there would always be extensive pressure to keep on fighting and not negotiate until there is a military dominant position.
While this was a common attitude for years before, the horrors of World War II produced a general revulsion to war and an awareness that war between two nations spills over to other states in the region and in an era of globalization, effects countries in other parts of the world. So there has been a tendency to use diplomacy endlessly, even after "things have gone too far". Historically, when things reached that point, the parties did fight it out, and when one was weakened sufficiently, negotiations and diplomacy could then be fruitful.
The Russians did come shortly thereafter in 2000. They captured Salman Raduyev, who regretted his challenge.
The General had sent his troops to invade and take over the British Falkland Islands. Others were worried that the British might send military to reverse the invasion. He really did not think that the British would send a military expedition halfway around the world for a few meager islands and a few hundred British citizens. He had fired up the population over the islands which they wanted so much that he actually believed that if the English came in force, they would be far away from their supply lines and their airfields, and Argentinians had always had an exalted opinion of their prowess. See {623878}. The English did come and the war was a rout with Argentina taking huge casualties and a great deflation of their ego. Galtieri was soon ousted.
Although warmly greeted, he was pressed for immediate action. see {638533}.
Jim Butcher is an American author. He has written the contemporary fantasy The Dresden Files, Codex Alera and Cinder Spires book series.
