First we had the new counterinsurgency manual. Now the army has a new operations manual with an emphasis on postwar stabilization. This is referred to as a “newly minted doctrine” and “a major development that draws on the hard-learned lessons … Continue reading →
The book A Better War by Lewis Sorley has just gone on my all-too-lengthy must-read list (to find the book review, scroll down a bit after you click on the link). Yes, more “Vietnam revisionist” history. Dismissed by those who … Continue reading →
Pakistan faces a crisis. President Musharraf has gone a route that appears to be highly tyrannical—declaring a state of emergency, suspending human rights guarantees, and arresting his enemies (including the head of the Supreme Court). For this, he’s been roundly … Continue reading →
Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that Andrew Bolt is right, and that we’ve already won in Iraq. Or if that’s too utterly unbelievable for you, let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that the violence in … Continue reading →
This TimesOnline piece points out that things are going relatively well in Iraq today, and yet many people have their own reasons for refusing to acknowledge that fact: The current achievements, and they are achievements, are being treated as almost … Continue reading →
For quite a while now the liberal/Left position vis-a-vis 9/11 has been that those on the Right are a bunch of namby-pamby fraidy cats, motivated by an unwarranted and pathological fear of terrorists. Or, alternatively, that the Right is not … Continue reading →
Those who are so certain they know how history will judge George Bush—or any other president, for that matter—show their ignorance of history itself. It’s not just that contemporary perceptions of a leader are often quite different from their evaluations … Continue reading →
Patrick Desbois is a French priest with a special calling: he has dedicated himself to documenting the mass murders of Ukrainian Jews by the Nazis during World War II, committed in the days before the efficiency of gas chamber and … Continue reading →
I’ve got an essay up at PJ today entitled “Finessing the Surge,” about politicians staking out a position on the current situation in Iraq. In my essay, I mention that they keep referencing that tragic image of helicopters attempting to … Continue reading →
Michael Hirsh has a column in Newsweek that must be read to be believed. Channeling Alfred (“What, me worry?) E. Neuman, Hirsh takes the loooong view of history, arguing that our withdrawal from Vietnam “worked.” After all, Vietnam isn’t doing … Continue reading →
“You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you,” is a quote attributed (apparently incorrectly?) to Leon Trotsky. Whether or not he actually said it, it seems true. And getting truer all the time—at least the … Continue reading →
[This is a repeat of a post that first appeared here on June 10, 2006. I thought in light of the post I wrote today, it could bear repeating.] I was rummaging around the house where I’m staying, looking for … Continue reading →