I can also recommend “The Afghanistan Papers” by Craig Whitlock and “The Occupation” by Patrick Cockburn for similarly themed perspective on the idiocy of our COIN missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively.
I am going to get that Iraq book from the library. Without prejudicing it, I wonder if the author isn't asking the wrong questions. If Russia/Ukraine is any guide, actually winning a conflict seems to be very much a secondary goal, if a goal at all, for the United States, and instead war for the sake of depleting opposing forces and making profits at home are the two motivating factors. From WMD to 'greeted as liberators', the Iraq conflict didn't meet its stated goals. You can almost, if you squint and fudge a bit, see something resembling a multi-ethnic democracy in Iraq, but only in the most basic form, and one punctuated weekly by atrocities. Afghanistan, we don't even need to look at. Russia/Ukraine, the jury's out but it's not looking good for a free, democratic Ukraine from Odessa to Mariupol. (For one thing, they'd need to be a properly free democracy first.)
Yet the appetite for war among the elites and even the public is arguably greater than ever, at least since Korea. It's hard not to reach the conclusion that winning wars and doing them "right" isn't something that particularly animates our regime. It's just having them that matters.
I think I owe Freddie and the commenters here a thanks. My piece I submitted for the subscriber writing got featured by Substack. I assume I owe it to y'all. For someone who got fired from his day job last week this is quite the needed boost of amazing. I know the comments section can occasionally be problematic but I really appreciate the community we've built here.
I can also recommend “The Afghanistan Papers” by Craig Whitlock and “The Occupation” by Patrick Cockburn for similarly themed perspective on the idiocy of our COIN missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively.
I am going to get that Iraq book from the library. Without prejudicing it, I wonder if the author isn't asking the wrong questions. If Russia/Ukraine is any guide, actually winning a conflict seems to be very much a secondary goal, if a goal at all, for the United States, and instead war for the sake of depleting opposing forces and making profits at home are the two motivating factors. From WMD to 'greeted as liberators', the Iraq conflict didn't meet its stated goals. You can almost, if you squint and fudge a bit, see something resembling a multi-ethnic democracy in Iraq, but only in the most basic form, and one punctuated weekly by atrocities. Afghanistan, we don't even need to look at. Russia/Ukraine, the jury's out but it's not looking good for a free, democratic Ukraine from Odessa to Mariupol. (For one thing, they'd need to be a properly free democracy first.)
Yet the appetite for war among the elites and even the public is arguably greater than ever, at least since Korea. It's hard not to reach the conclusion that winning wars and doing them "right" isn't something that particularly animates our regime. It's just having them that matters.
The Sublation Mag piece was good. I think you have reflected on the tension explored there before, but would love to read more on it!
I think I owe Freddie and the commenters here a thanks. My piece I submitted for the subscriber writing got featured by Substack. I assume I owe it to y'all. For someone who got fired from his day job last week this is quite the needed boost of amazing. I know the comments section can occasionally be problematic but I really appreciate the community we've built here.
Would be cool if you could name the song of the week as well as linking to it: at least two recently have been "video unavailable" in the UK..