These are my own personal views and do not represent the views of the US Government, Military, or US Army.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Neo Con Incompetence
I've come to realize there is an inherent flaw in Neo Cons running a war of stability and support operations (SASO). They lack the morals and values necessary to fight such a war correctly. To fight a an insurgency correctly requires empathy, to know how the people are suffering and being able to correct it before your enemy can. It require an ability to understand complex social structures and networks and work within those networks to achieve compromise amongst the indigenous people. In other words, a war such as this requires flexible diplomacy from the strategic to the tactical level with a common goal. That goal was unapparent in the beginning months of this war and that's when we lost our momentum. The Neo Cons don't even care about the people they supposedly govern, I reference Hurricane Katrina as one example, why would they care about the plight of people who can't unelect them, or have no power to stop them. Someone once said, "Terrorism is the war of the powerless, and war is the terrorism of the powerful." So, what are the powerless going to resort to when they see their grievances, inflicted by us, are not being addressed? The war of the powerless.So, Neo Cons, lacking simple human emotions, morals, and values, and having no other goals but unlimited power, are the wrong people to fight any war, much less a war where the will of the occupied is the center of gravity, and the deciding factor for victory.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Wars of Credibility
What's this new diplomatic SOP where we dont talk to our enemies? I can't understand it. Of course, you talk to your enemies, you know what your friends are doing to hell with them you dont need to talk to them, that's how you find out what your enemies are doing. You know, there are other ways to force your political will on other countries without going to war, without using the military, without violence. You do it through talking. That is such retarded middle school bullshit. "We dont talk to our enemies." Then who the fuck are you talking to. Oh yeah, that's right you have a direct line to God and God tells you which of his people to kill and not kill. What's the number so I can call him and tell him he fucked up? Can I send him a text? I'm sure God has a blackberry. Maybe I can explain the ways of peace and diplomacy to him. Talking to your enemies is the first resort from the strategic to the tactical level. That's what you do first, not shoot them.
I know why they dont talk to our enemies because we have no leverage. We used to be able to leverage our credibility to build worldwide coalitions to force our/the WORLD'S diplomatic will. First that credibility is gone so we cant build a coalition to do a high school science project. Second we have gone so far over the deep end that noone knows what our strategic and national goals and/or will are anymore. And people are afraid to get behind us because we're like lunatic with a loaded gun. They just dont know where we are going to shoot and why.
"So you were attacked by OBL, what do you want to do about it America."
"Well, I think we'll attack Atlantis."
"But Atlantis is fictional Mr. President."
"That's just what the liberal media wants you to think, that's where all the WMD's and OBL are hiding, that's where they harbor all the terrorists."
I mean that might as well have been the conversation with us and the rest of the world the months following 9-11, because what was done in our name makes just as much sense. So, just like the schoolyard bullies I used to piss off with my smart mouth and quick wit our only reaction to any problem of diplomacy is violence. It wasnt hard to outwit the bully, but when I did, he had no other option but to punch me in the face in order to enforce his will upon me. At that point I would gladly give him my lunch money. I got punched all because he couldnt come up with clever scheme to outsmart me out of my money. I guess my point is, When all you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail.
I know why they dont talk to our enemies because we have no leverage. We used to be able to leverage our credibility to build worldwide coalitions to force our/the WORLD'S diplomatic will. First that credibility is gone so we cant build a coalition to do a high school science project. Second we have gone so far over the deep end that noone knows what our strategic and national goals and/or will are anymore. And people are afraid to get behind us because we're like lunatic with a loaded gun. They just dont know where we are going to shoot and why.
"So you were attacked by OBL, what do you want to do about it America."
"Well, I think we'll attack Atlantis."
"But Atlantis is fictional Mr. President."
"That's just what the liberal media wants you to think, that's where all the WMD's and OBL are hiding, that's where they harbor all the terrorists."
I mean that might as well have been the conversation with us and the rest of the world the months following 9-11, because what was done in our name makes just as much sense. So, just like the schoolyard bullies I used to piss off with my smart mouth and quick wit our only reaction to any problem of diplomacy is violence. It wasnt hard to outwit the bully, but when I did, he had no other option but to punch me in the face in order to enforce his will upon me. At that point I would gladly give him my lunch money. I got punched all because he couldnt come up with clever scheme to outsmart me out of my money. I guess my point is, When all you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail.
"Everything that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part." Thomas Paine on Decolonization
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