On the other hand, I started reading Tacitus again. This war isn't remotely new.

[Recursion]

The Belgicae (only a geographical relation to the modern Belgians) did the same. In fact, this isn't remotely newly-trod ground: violent insugencies are very, very good at sucking superpowers into ground wars. You might say it's what they do best. There is nothing new under the Sun.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Ah, yes. Germania.

[Journeyman]

2. History's motto: "Eadem sed aliter" . . .

"The same things differently" ~ Schopenhauer

[Recursion]

9. It's funny, Herodotus had a similar saying

And he stole that from an Egyptian....

[Bluenorthwest]

10. It is a common theme,

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 1

[Cleita]

3. Yep. If you study wars all the way from Troy to the present,

there is nothing new and yet we still don't learn the lessons of history.

[Downwinder]

4. Strange tactics.

The supposedly superior force is employing hit and run raids and controlling no ground. Makes you wonder who the insurgents are.

[CJCRANE]

5. I assume that's because ISIS are inside cities now.

[Recursion]

7. Well, right: ISIS wants to set up a "state", but that plays right into the US military's hands.

There is literally no state in the history of the world that can stand up to the US military. ISIS's physical survival rests on not being a state, but their political legitimacy rests on becoming one.

[CJCRANE]

8. But a city provides cover for them and makes it hard to get at them.

It's a classic baiting tactic.

[Recursion]

6. That's also not new: see Thucydides

It's one of the reasons I'm slightly (only slightly) less skeptical about this attempt than 2003.