Democracy Journal
Much thanks to Eddie Beaver and Lexington Green who separately but nearly simultaneously sent me links this morning to a very fine e-zine, Democracy Journal.org. What caught their eye were the following articles by some familiar names:
“Pentagon 2.0” by Colonel T.X. Hammes
The author of the critically acclaimed The Sling and the Stone reviews the latest book by another premier military theorist, John Arquilla’s Worst Enemy and finds it wanting.
“Return of the Jihadi” by Andrew Exum a.k.a. “Abu Muqawama”
Exum methodically analyzes the implications of “when Omar comes marching home” and offers sensible solutions I would describe as “Interagency COIN Jointness”.
Parenthetical aside: One side effect of the GWOT/Iraq War/Afghanistan, I think we shall see in the coming decade, is to have created a generation of future policy makers and statesmen like we have not seen since WWII.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Just a thought, pure speculation about the full range of possible outcomes… If the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are considered by future generations to be wastes of American blood and wealth, the leaders it produces might be seen like those from WWI.
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In this scenario, many of those who played a senior role in charting its course — both in theory and practice — might be discredited. The lower-level leaders, who actually fought it, might be heavily represented among our future military and national leaders.
June 12th, 2008 at 4:12 am
"If the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are considered by future generations to be wastes of American blood and wealth, the leaders it produces might be seen like those from WWI. "
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Hi Fabius
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A tall order, given the aspect of a "Lost Generation" is missing here – there would have to be an unfolding calamity of a similar magnitude. Not to say that could not happen, partcularly with a global economic implosion but that would would have far more causation that just Iraq
June 12th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I was speculating that the current wars might have a similar dynamic as WWI: discrediting the senior players, but enhancing the status of the juniors — not implying that WWI and the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars were of the same scale.