Can David Beat Goliath?

Soviet Guerrilla Fighters (also known as Resistance or Freedom Fighters).

Friends, in our modern world there are several current situations which involve a David versus Goliath military contest. We have a variety of small countries that have been invaded and occupied by militarily powerful superpowers. The result of such a contest is predictable. Or is it? Thanks to Che, it’s not!

Some time ago, the Russian Goliath invaded and occupied Afghanistan. After many years the Russians withdrew with egg on their faces because, though they had a huge advantage in armaments and military technology, they couldn’t defeat a shadowy, determined guerrilla army who avoided direct confrontation (open warfare) where they would’ve been quickly exterminated.

Instead they used small arms and improvised explosives. They used their knowledge of the local terrain and weather to advantage. They inflicted casualties then withdrew before the superior army could marshal their planes and missiles. The superpower never knew where they would be attacked next and they couldn’t attack such a shadowy enemy because they never knew who they were.

The Palestinians, until they became hopelessly split, had their occupiers seriously worried.

They employed guerrilla tactics and used suicide bombers who went out and, in buses or restaurants, gave their lives to inflict damage on their occupiers (similar damage to that being inflicted upon them when Israeli missiles blew up inhabited houses and apartments or tanks and IDF snipers shot their children).

Eventually the militarily powerful Israelis had to build huge concrete walls to lessen the impact of suicide bombers and the real fear they engendered.

The Vietnamese resisted and finally defeated the huge American War Machine using guerrilla tactics in the beginning until they got a shadowy land army mobilized. They inflicted huge casualties on the invaders who were finally forced to admit defeat and withdraw.

For David to beat Goliath, it requires unity, determination, avoidance of open warfare, skillful use of local knowledge, improvisation, bravery, self-sacrifice, and a just cause such as seeking freedom from occupation or oppression and protecting communities.

Currently, there are plenty of just causes that are begging for solutions. And the solution, the one I’ve outlined, is there if only those who are being wrongly oppressed could grasp it and work together to bring about justice.

To fight for what is right is noble!