Recommended Reading
I have to say that, while I do not agree with everything here, I think it is a good thing if progressives turn their attention to grand strategy, a subject they have generally avoided in past decades unless you can count being reflexively against whatever the US is doing as a “strategy”. Actually, this might be very interesting because it will split the Left camp between democratic progressives, who think what the US is doing is the problem and the hard, authoritarian, Left who think the existence of the US is a problem. I count Steve and Dave in the former camp BTW, though I think Steve, who is strongly anti-interventionist, is misreading Nuremburg in the context of International Law if he believes the only legitimate use of military force is self-defense in the face of an attack. That’s not the case.
John Hagel – The Edge Perspective Passion and Plasticity – The Neurobiology of Passion
I consider Hagel to be a “never miss, must read”. Hat tip to Scott Shipman
John Robb is up to some very cool things.
That’s it!
ADDENDUM:
Clarridge is the story du jour. Also commenting:
SWJ Blog , Newshoggers, The Agonist,
ADDENDUM II.
I forgot to include this riff by Joseph Fouche:
Tactics Are From Newton. Strategy Is From Heisenberg.
….Going into the Franco-Prussian War, Prussia was dominated by the almost Clausewitzian trinity of King Wilhelm of Prussia (primordial violence, hatred, and enmity, which are to be regarded as a blind natural force), Moltke (the play of chance and probability, within which the creative spirit is free to roam), and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck ([war’s] element of subordination, as an instrument of policy, which makes it subject to pure reason). In fact, Old Wilhelm (more the people), Old Moltke (more the commander and his army), and the young whippersnapper Bismarck (more the government) are almost a 1 to 1 translation of the secondary trinity as well. Moltke’s philosophy of strategy reflected a role assigned by Clausewitz where the play of courage and talent enjoyed in the realm of probability and chance depended upon his particular character and the particular collective character of Prussian army. As such his strategy was a system of expedients that he systematically shifted as his carefully laid prewar plans collided with the French.
Bismarck had a similar notion of the role of chance in the realm of international politics even without the addition of other (usually violent means):
“Politics is the art of the possible.”
“Politics is not an exact science.”
But perhaps his most famous remark in this spirit was his statement that “A statesman…must wait until he hears the steps of God sounding through events, then leap up and grasp the hem of His garment.” Bismarck’s problem was that Moltke was also listening for the footsteps of God through history and Moltke thought those footsteps were heading towards Paris.
Page 3 of 3 | Previous page
Charles Cameron:
January 23rd, 2011 at 8:00 am
Hi, Zen:
Colonel Gentile has posted comments at both Travels with Paula (I) and The battalion commander debates the blogger (II).
zen:
January 23rd, 2011 at 5:30 pm
LOL! Ok, I stand corrected. I was not contemplating comments as Josh alone had around 150 on a single post. Thank you Charles
Charles Cameron:
January 23rd, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I know whereof you speak, Zen.
.
I was just skimming the comments, and noted Gentile’s name among those who posted — and part of the reason I enjoy blogs so much is the back-and-forth they can elicit on a good day, so I was impressed. You very kindly provided links to all the right discussions in your post above, which made it an easy matter to track down the posts on which he’d commented.
.
So thank you too.
Madhu:
January 23rd, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Then you saw my comments in the post at Registan? I had a back and forth with Mr. Foust which turned out okay because I came to my senses and apologized.
.
And then I had to turn around and apologize in a comments thread at SWJ because I stupidly went on an on about the "thin" intellectual South Asia bench and, of course, there are real people doing real things that hang out there.
.
Me and my big mouth. That usually signals that it’s time for me to shut up and get away from the computer and Droid and yada yada yada.
.
So, here goes. This usually doesn’t work. I need to get rid of my phone. The internet is just too accessible.
.
– Madhu
Madhu:
January 23rd, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Yeah. It doesn’t work.
.
This is a cranky time on a lot of the COIN blogs I am reading. I wonder if that’s nothing or if it’s a "symptom" of something?
.
– Madhu
onparkstreet:
January 23rd, 2011 at 8:32 pm
I don’t know why onparkstreet didn’t show up the first two times?
.
– Madhu
Dave Schuler:
January 23rd, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Since I first read it I’ve been mentally trying to draft a reaction to Dave’s grand strategy. I’m in agreement with much of it. However, it’s not clear to me that it’s a progressive grand strategy so much as an isolationist one (which might be why I agree with parts of it).
zen:
January 24th, 2011 at 12:31 am
Hi Dave,
.
" I’m in agreement with much of it. However, it’s not clear to me that it’s a progressive grand strategy so much as an isolationist one"
.
I thought it could have been expounded by a paleocon just as easily.
.
Hi Doc Madhu,
.
It is a symptom of being in an intellectual cul de sac. There needs to be some new concepts injected. Or new blood.
Joshua Foust:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Dude, you made a photoshop of my hideous face on a Roman and didn’t pony up? I’m 100% disappointed! Maybe even 105%.
zen:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Oratorical Josh,
.
Heh. I don’t quite have the mad skilz of Lex/Shane who photoshopped that pic of Clausewitz’s head onto John Nagl’s body but the image may make an appearance soon 🙂