Did you know today was VJ Day? Seeing as how Rhode Island is the only state in the Union that still celebrates VJ day, you might have missed that. I find it a bit ironic that on the day we (are supposed to) commemorate the surrender of Japan in WWII we hear the news being spread that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Pop quiz for all you government school graduates: What were the terms of surrender for Japan at the end of World War II? That's right, unconditional. Just so there's not ambiguity here, unconditional meant that they did what ever the bloody hell we told 'em to. Unconditional meant they were absolutely, with no reserves, defeated. Unconditional surrender for them, meant unmitigated victory for us.

So where do we stand with Japan now? Well, we are in danger of losing a technology war with them. Their auto industry is about to demand Potsdam like conditions from ours. All-in-all however, we have a great relationship with Japan. They are one of our greatest trade partners, both in terms of economics and technology. They have no military (see: unconditional surrender above) but they support our military actions against the terrorists with funding. Complete victory brought about complete surrender which brought about complete change in the nation.

The Israeli-Hezbollah/Iran/Hammas/Syria war will not be over until someone wins it. Which makes it just like every other war in history. Victory only comes in one flavor: complete. Incomplete victories, such as this yet-again ceasefire, are not victories at all. They are merely a delaying of the inevitable. They are holding patterns. In Arabic, the language the Hezbollah speak, the word for ceasefire is the same word used to mean “reload”.

Israel had a chance here. The U.S. was telling them to go get the bad guys. Many other nations were also telling them to do so. Those demanding Israel to stop were not doing so in as loud a voice as they usually do. Maybe it was because this was a post 9/11 world. Maybe it was because the U.S. was actually encouraging Israel for a change. Maybe it was because the other Arabic states are afraid of Iran (of which Hezbollah is just an arm). Whatever the reason, Israel had a chance to finish this once and for all. They didn't take it.

Mark this down. You can tell your neighbor's the Rooster told you this (I would say grandkids but it ain't gonna take that long). This war will be resumed. It is not over.