I Will Fight Some More Forever: Difference between revisions

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It's a play on the 19th Century surrender poem ("[[I Will Fight No More Forever]]") of the Chief of the Nez Perce Indians, when he realized that they could not win against the U.S. cavalry. In this trope, the cavalry can't come to the realization that it's not going to win, but it will keep on fighting, wasting ordnance and quite possibly people.

See also [[Attack Attack Attack]]. For the villainous equivalent, see [[Shooting Superman]]. Along with [[We Have Reserves]], this represents the bulk of [[General Ripper]]'s tactical and strategic repertoire ([[Fridge Logic|raising the question]] as to ''how'' he could actually make it to general...). Also compare [[Five Rounds Rapid]], in which an armed force only uses small-arms fire to try to take down a monster, and never thinks to use some of the bigger weapons in its arsenal.

See also [[Attack! Attack! Attack!]]. For the villainous equivalent, see [[Shooting Superman]]. Along with [[We Have Reserves]], this represents the bulk of [[General Ripper]]'s tactical and strategic repertoire ([[Fridge Logic|raising the question]] as to ''how'' he could actually make it to general...). Also compare [[Five Rounds Rapid]], in which an armed force only uses small-arms fire to try to take down a monster, and never thinks to use some of the bigger weapons in its arsenal.

Subverted if the enemy is not actually [[Immune to Bullets]] and can be taken down with (considerably) [[More Dakka]].

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== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* The ''[[~~Doctor Who (TV)|~~Doctor Who]]'' episode "Dalek", there's a scene with groups of soldiers attacking the eponymous Dalek from three different directions. It's got a force field and bullets do not penetrate. It shoots, and one [[Red Shirt]] gets [[Death Ray|Death Rayed]]. It turns, and shoots another. Then again, another. One by one, in no particular hurry. The bullets are ''still'' not having ''any'' effect whatsoever. However, instead of saving their bullets (and lives) and leaving to come up with a better plan, they keep going until all are slaughtered.

* The ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "Dalek", there's a scene with groups of soldiers attacking the eponymous Dalek from three different directions. It's got a force field and bullets do not penetrate. It shoots, and one [[Red Shirt]] gets [[Death Ray|Death Rayed]]. It turns, and shoots another. Then again, another. One by one, in no particular hurry. The bullets are ''still'' not having ''any'' effect whatsoever. However, instead of saving their bullets (and lives) and leaving to come up with a better plan, they keep going until all are slaughtered.

* ''[~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/~~Invasion:~~_Earth_~~(~~TV_series)~~ Invasion Earth]'' (1998) had the military destroying a massive alien...thing that appeared, only for another one to appear in its place. It was theorised that an infinite number of these aliens were stacked up in alternate realities, waiting to replace each one that's destroyed. Nevertheless the general in charge gives a defiant speech about how they're going to nuke each one that appears, no matter how many, because the fate of the human race is at stake. The series ends without us finding out whether these "all or nothing" tactics are effective.

* ''[[wikipedia:Invasion: Earth (TV series)|Invasion Earth]]'' (1998) had the military destroying a massive alien...thing that appeared, only for another one to appear in its place. It was theorised that an infinite number of these aliens were stacked up in alternate realities, waiting to replace each one that's destroyed. Nevertheless the general in charge gives a defiant speech about how they're going to nuke each one that appears, no matter how many, because the fate of the human race is at stake. The series ends without us finding out whether these "all or nothing" tactics are effective.

** Basically the aliens want to turn all life on Earth and everywhere else into [[Organic Technology]] slaves. Most races are pacifists and kill themselves rather than be used. Humans being [[Humanity Is Superior|awesome]] [[Humans Are Bastards|bastards]] decide to do as much damage to the aliens as possible and exterminate all life on Earth in the process out of spite.

** The British [[General Ripper]] Expy gives this [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] speech, "They are going to learn that we won't roll over and die like the [[Actual Pacifist|Echo's]]. We are going to fight. And even if we lose we'll make damn sure that they don't win." I was never so [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|proud to be a human.]]

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== [[Real Life]] ==

* "As if the purpose of the military is to continue to throw away its ordnance on invulnerable targets after it's been shown that there is no effect" is a pretty good description of ''the entire First World War'', most notably the Battle of The Somme, although in WWI it was [~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme~~#Casualties "ordnance and men."]

* "As if the purpose of the military is to continue to throw away its ordnance on invulnerable targets after it's been shown that there is no effect" is a pretty good description of ''the entire First World War'', most notably the Battle of The Somme, although in WWI it was [[wikipedia:Battle of the Somme#Casualties|"ordnance and men."]]

** The Somme was really an attempt to force the Germans to refocus away from Verdun, another really lossy battle.

* US Navy torpedo squadrons at the Battle of Midway were equipped with obsolete TBD torpedo bombers, which were very easy prey for the A6M "Zero" fighters that protected the Japanese fleet. The torpedo planes pressed home their attack anyway, and were mostly wiped out, with Torpedo Eight from the USS ''Hornet'' famously only having one survivor. However, destroying the torpedo planes drew the fighters down near the water, leaving the carriers wide open when the ''non''-obsolete dive bombers arrived at high altitude right as the Japanese were rearming their attack planes. The torpedo bomber pilots' [[Heroic Sacrifice]] allowed the dive bombers to inflict massive damage on three of the Japanese carriers, putting them out of action, and greatly contributed to the eventual U.S. victory.

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[[Category:Military and Warfare Tropes]]

[[Category:I Will Fight Some More Forever]]

[[Category:Trope]]