So the invasion wasn't wrong just the tactics were , according to " journalist " Ricks who serves on board at Center for New American Strategy FILLED w/ Military & advertises purpose is to PROJECTING U.S. Interests .
If you can't tell this guy is in BED w/ advocates of U.S. militarism you're an idiot .
He should go into the PLANNED privatization of Iraq by Bush Regime like REAL journalist Naomi Klein
Order 39 by Bremmer allowed Iraq banks to b 100 % foreign owned AFTER invasion , long planned
Uhhhh...I think you may have your facts mixed up. Ricks does not pass judgment on whether the invasion was "right" or "wrong" - but what little he does say suggests he was against it. He definitely does speak against the invasion on his blog. Ricks also heavily criticizes Bremer's policies. I did not know Ricks was on their board, but I follow CNAS and enjoy their work very much. CNAS promotes an even-tempered, informed, and rational national security.
You Americans should find someone who can build nations from the rubble and win people over. What you need is a good cop, to create a good cop - bad cop team with.
just a fun story i got reminded of watching this; one of the people picked up in those round ups was a 13 year old boy. who while in jail for a few weeks got raped by one of the other inmates who were of course grown men
Maybe an interesting book and a good review. Anyway, to measure the efficiency of the American war effort in Iraq (and in the Middle East in general), it would be quite helpful to know more about the strategic intentions that led the US and its allies to invade the region's countries. If you think in terms of securing the strategic fuel resources for the West and hampering the rise of China as a new superpower, you would see quite different criteria as relevant than those officially presented.
Excellent point. What's our "superstrategy"? Forty years ago it was "kill the commies," but since the end of the Cold War we've been floundering. We don't have a coherent strategy for anything.
Maybe you are right, but maybe some strategies yet exist, but only are not sexy enough to be bluntly exposed to the world public... And also, different strategies are probably held by different institutions and agencies within the Government, by key players of the private sector (big banks and private investors, various multinational suppliers of the Military etc) and maybe also by less formal groups like various Jewish lobbies or anyone else who has money and influence...
What? No coherent strategy? What are you talking about? Of course "we" do. It's called:
M A X I M I Z E P R O F I T S NO MATTER WHAT THE COST TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !
I expect a series from you on corporatizing the government perhaps beginning with the Supreme Court's recent selling-out of citizens' individual rights. So get busy!
lol Shouldn't our "superstrategy" be about creating international cooperation, the rebuilding and refurbishing of our nation's infrastructure, and the development of new, higher technologies to solve problems like our energy needs?
Instead "we" invade podunk nations that "we" blame for our problems and flounder in our own irrelevance to the human process of creating newer and better systems of economy, gov't, science, philosophy, art, etc. to get us out of the problems of the 20th century.
This is becoming more and more mainstream of an idea. Even in the movie, "W" directed by Oliver Stone, the idea of securing fuel resources in the Middle East is stated outright. And in the movie "The Departed" they have a scene where Chinese spies are attempting to steal microchips for missile guidance and one of the main characters states that we'll probably be at war with the Chinese in 20 years.
This perspective may soon be a mainstream justification for US presence in the MEast
Yes. I think, that if e.g. Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India and China had good mutual relations, maybe some crude and gas pipelines would be built across their countries. But, cynically speaking, would it help to US or UK? And would it help, if some new and cheap energy resources were available to anybody, including China, India or Brasil? What would it do for instance with the food prices? I doubt the policy of non-agression has ever fully suited to the major world powers, and I doubt it fully does.
I think the core of the problem here is that our boots on the ground in the m. east don't have a vast array of knives to suite every occasion like Newsish does.
If you want a good story by someone who was "boots on the ground" I recommend "The Last True Story I Will Ever Tell" by John Crawford. Crawford served in a National Guard unit at the beginning of the Iraq War. Brutal and inspiring, plus it shows how the screw ups by those in DC effected the troops and the citizens of Iraq. Crawford has no agenda but telling it like it happened.
Also, I think No End in Sight is a very good documentary for those who maybe don't feel like reading that. Granted, there IS now an end in sight, but still. The documentary is good in that it is full of a lot of interviews of people actually involved...sort of letting the story speak for itself.
Rumsfeld thought he could invade and occupy Iraq on the cheap. Bush waited years before he decided to replace Rumsfeld. My own feeeling is the invasion of Iraq was one of the biggest crimes in U.S. history.
Read Fiasco a few years back. Cobra II is also good, a bit more dry and focuses more on the preplanning (or lack of). For Iraq. I'll have to look up the author.
The book sounds interesting. Is the content objective? I'm getting tired of a conservative or liberal spin. Granted the author will have his opinion either way but I would prefer something a bit toned down in that regards. I'm getting like Joe Friday these days with all the spin. "Just the facts."
I can't speak with certainty becuase its my only source on Iraq, but I do not detect any spin. It's very well researched, extensively quoted, very even-handed. It's basically a like a long, straight news article on Iraq. It definitely has its winners and losers and it has a point (that we fucked up), but those seem merit-based not prejudiced.
Comment removed
zdslmn 1 year ago
WAR = FREEDOM!
iknewitalready 2 years ago
So the invasion wasn't wrong just the tactics were , according to " journalist " Ricks who serves on board at Center for New American Strategy FILLED w/ Military & advertises purpose is to PROJECTING U.S. Interests .
If you can't tell this guy is in BED w/ advocates of U.S. militarism you're an idiot .
He should go into the PLANNED privatization of Iraq by Bush Regime like REAL journalist Naomi Klein
Order 39 by Bremmer allowed Iraq banks to b 100 % foreign owned AFTER invasion , long planned
franz909 2 years ago
Uhhhh...I think you may have your facts mixed up. Ricks does not pass judgment on whether the invasion was "right" or "wrong" - but what little he does say suggests he was against it. He definitely does speak against the invasion on his blog. Ricks also heavily criticizes Bremer's policies. I did not know Ricks was on their board, but I follow CNAS and enjoy their work very much. CNAS promotes an even-tempered, informed, and rational national security.
Newsish 2 years ago
Have you read "The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Ruined Government, Enriched Themselves, and Beggared the Nation" ?
I haven't read it yet myself but I saw the author, Thomas Frank on Bill Moyers the other night and he made some very depressing observations.
wdgeo 2 years ago
You Americans should find someone who can build nations from the rubble and win people over. What you need is a good cop, to create a good cop - bad cop team with.
omegavalerius 2 years ago
Good review. Sounds like a good book. I'll probably pick it up.
grindstonejournal 2 years ago
you are the awesomes.
sisforshayla 2 years ago
Cheney and Rumsfeld cared about one thing: Giving as much money as possible to the military contractors.
dangerouslytalented 2 years ago
just a fun story i got reminded of watching this; one of the people picked up in those round ups was a 13 year old boy. who while in jail for a few weeks got raped by one of the other inmates who were of course grown men
narezul 2 years ago
Maybe an interesting book and a good review. Anyway, to measure the efficiency of the American war effort in Iraq (and in the Middle East in general), it would be quite helpful to know more about the strategic intentions that led the US and its allies to invade the region's countries. If you think in terms of securing the strategic fuel resources for the West and hampering the rise of China as a new superpower, you would see quite different criteria as relevant than those officially presented.
danielsondanielson 2 years ago
Excellent point. What's our "superstrategy"? Forty years ago it was "kill the commies," but since the end of the Cold War we've been floundering. We don't have a coherent strategy for anything.
Newsish 2 years ago
Maybe you are right, but maybe some strategies yet exist, but only are not sexy enough to be bluntly exposed to the world public... And also, different strategies are probably held by different institutions and agencies within the Government, by key players of the private sector (big banks and private investors, various multinational suppliers of the Military etc) and maybe also by less formal groups like various Jewish lobbies or anyone else who has money and influence...
danielsondanielson 2 years ago
What? No coherent strategy? What are you talking about? Of course "we" do. It's called:
M A X I M I Z E P R O F I T S NO MATTER WHAT THE COST TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !
I expect a series from you on corporatizing the government perhaps beginning with the Supreme Court's recent selling-out of citizens' individual rights. So get busy!
BTW, good review!
wdgeo 2 years ago
lol Shouldn't our "superstrategy" be about creating international cooperation, the rebuilding and refurbishing of our nation's infrastructure, and the development of new, higher technologies to solve problems like our energy needs?
Instead "we" invade podunk nations that "we" blame for our problems and flounder in our own irrelevance to the human process of creating newer and better systems of economy, gov't, science, philosophy, art, etc. to get us out of the problems of the 20th century.
riethc 2 years ago
Very true.
This is becoming more and more mainstream of an idea. Even in the movie, "W" directed by Oliver Stone, the idea of securing fuel resources in the Middle East is stated outright. And in the movie "The Departed" they have a scene where Chinese spies are attempting to steal microchips for missile guidance and one of the main characters states that we'll probably be at war with the Chinese in 20 years.
This perspective may soon be a mainstream justification for US presence in the MEast
riethc 2 years ago
Yes. I think, that if e.g. Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India and China had good mutual relations, maybe some crude and gas pipelines would be built across their countries. But, cynically speaking, would it help to US or UK? And would it help, if some new and cheap energy resources were available to anybody, including China, India or Brasil? What would it do for instance with the food prices? I doubt the policy of non-agression has ever fully suited to the major world powers, and I doubt it fully does.
danielsondanielson 2 years ago
Comment removed
riethc 2 years ago
@danielsondanielson Please, continue with you diatribe. I'd like to be enlightened by your world view. lol
riethc 2 years ago
I think the core of the problem here is that our boots on the ground in the m. east don't have a vast array of knives to suite every occasion like Newsish does.
DWest174 2 years ago
Holy shit, this guy is a genius. Move over Robert Gates, we have a new Secretary of Defense.
Newsish 2 years ago
@DWest174
agreed.
collins1188 2 years ago
If you want a good story by someone who was "boots on the ground" I recommend "The Last True Story I Will Ever Tell" by John Crawford. Crawford served in a National Guard unit at the beginning of the Iraq War. Brutal and inspiring, plus it shows how the screw ups by those in DC effected the troops and the citizens of Iraq. Crawford has no agenda but telling it like it happened.
sachaput 2 years ago
Also, I think No End in Sight is a very good documentary for those who maybe don't feel like reading that. Granted, there IS now an end in sight, but still. The documentary is good in that it is full of a lot of interviews of people actually involved...sort of letting the story speak for itself.
ArranoGris 2 years ago
Rumsfeld thought he could invade and occupy Iraq on the cheap. Bush waited years before he decided to replace Rumsfeld. My own feeeling is the invasion of Iraq was one of the biggest crimes in U.S. history.
Dragonfly6160 2 years ago 4
Michael R Gordon. Cobra II
petehjr1 2 years ago
Read Fiasco a few years back. Cobra II is also good, a bit more dry and focuses more on the preplanning (or lack of). For Iraq. I'll have to look up the author.
petehjr1 2 years ago
The book sounds interesting. Is the content objective? I'm getting tired of a conservative or liberal spin. Granted the author will have his opinion either way but I would prefer something a bit toned down in that regards. I'm getting like Joe Friday these days with all the spin. "Just the facts."
medicatedsaint 2 years ago
I can't speak with certainty becuase its my only source on Iraq, but I do not detect any spin. It's very well researched, extensively quoted, very even-handed. It's basically a like a long, straight news article on Iraq. It definitely has its winners and losers and it has a point (that we fucked up), but those seem merit-based not prejudiced.
Newsish 2 years ago
"fiasco" is precisely the right word for both
irag and afganistan. leadership fiasco....
which describes the homefront also, by
the way. sadly, obama and his folks are
not an improvement. not yet anyway.
jumbobobcleo 2 years ago 3
Why did we put people in charge who learned everything they knew about war from video games and movies?
mmmtoblerone 2 years ago
So, implicitly, you're saying next time our military invades a nation on false premises we should have a better counter-insurgency strategy?
riethc 2 years ago 3
Exactly.
Newsish 2 years ago
Have you ever heard of the word "kynicism"?
riethc 2 years ago
Sure. It's from the Critique of Cynical Reason by Peter Sloterdijk.
Another excellent book-review choice!
wdgeo 2 years ago