Tuesday, November 29, 2005
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PRIVATE MILITARIES
or the growth of portable power
Eaglespeak has an interesting post on the Somali Interim government's outsourcing their navy. It's filled with links to the history of privateering, letters of marquis and conspiracy theories (by the commentors). It's worth a read.
Also worth a read is Corporate Warriors. So far as I can tell, this is the most thurough analysis of the rise of Private Military Companies - in book form, anyway.
These are troubling issues. I am whole-heartedly a believer that unchecked power is bad. With no accountability and big weapons, bad juju is comming. The only thing is, we probably won't hear about it. After all, governements with enough cash to hire these high tech mercenaries will use them at the edges of their national interest. As such, expect any attrocities to be confined to Affrica, South America, or Central Asia.
or the growth of portable power
Eaglespeak has an interesting post on the Somali Interim government's outsourcing their navy. It's filled with links to the history of privateering, letters of marquis and conspiracy theories (by the commentors). It's worth a read.
Also worth a read is Corporate Warriors. So far as I can tell, this is the most thurough analysis of the rise of Private Military Companies - in book form, anyway.
These are troubling issues. I am whole-heartedly a believer that unchecked power is bad. With no accountability and big weapons, bad juju is comming. The only thing is, we probably won't hear about it. After all, governements with enough cash to hire these high tech mercenaries will use them at the edges of their national interest. As such, expect any attrocities to be confined to Affrica, South America, or Central Asia.
Monday, November 28, 2005
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KEEPING WITH THE THEME
more reasons why Iraqi may not be as bad as it seems
The Economist has a an interesting Special Report on the changing sentiment of the Arab Street. They postulate an interesting theory that the average Arab is becoming disillusioned with jihad. It's persuasive.
Funny how that works; first hand experience with depravity makes it seem, well....depraved. Bill Roggio has a very interesting post detailing the abhorrent tactics of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. From targeting children to sawing off people's heads to strict interpretations of sharia, Al-Qaeda's fiery rhetoric has, to date, inspired Arabs inclined to believe in Zionist conspiracies.
Now, thanks to abominable acts like the Jordanian hotel bombings, Casablanca and Istanbul market bombings, many Arabs have been touch by terrorism first hand. Fiery rhetoric and sadistic violence is only sexy when you are not the target.
I can only hope we truly have crossed a tipping point jihad's credibility.
more reasons why Iraqi may not be as bad as it seems
The Economist has a an interesting Special Report on the changing sentiment of the Arab Street. They postulate an interesting theory that the average Arab is becoming disillusioned with jihad. It's persuasive.
Funny how that works; first hand experience with depravity makes it seem, well....depraved. Bill Roggio has a very interesting post detailing the abhorrent tactics of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. From targeting children to sawing off people's heads to strict interpretations of sharia, Al-Qaeda's fiery rhetoric has, to date, inspired Arabs inclined to believe in Zionist conspiracies.
Now, thanks to abominable acts like the Jordanian hotel bombings, Casablanca and Istanbul market bombings, many Arabs have been touch by terrorism first hand. Fiery rhetoric and sadistic violence is only sexy when you are not the target.
I can only hope we truly have crossed a tipping point jihad's credibility.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
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IRAQ IS NOT A VIETNAM
or - I was wrong
Over the last few weeks I have started exploring the conservative Milblogs. The blogs tend to be made of of military or ex-military bloggers who are focused on Iraq. They have long been saying that Iraq is the right place to be and the war is winnable. I don't agree that we should be in Iraq - it was wrong when we did it, it's still wrong now. However, we are there. And to leave is to create a vacuum which will first be filled by a civil war and then be filled by the Iranians. We have to stay - as long as it takes.
There is an interesting piece in the CS Monitor about the "New" military strategy in Iraq. This "new" strategy has been widely blogged by the Milbloggers for awhile (since late summer).
Explore the Anbar campaign on the Fourth Rail blog or go to Threatwatch for good coverage of the boots on the ground. I won't repeat them here, but I do find their portrayal of the current state of Iraq persuasive. We can, and are winning. Which is to say, the insurgents can be defeated. That doesn't mean Iraq will become a democracy or look anything like the US in the future. It merely means the insurgent (including Al Qeada) pose more of a political/media threat than military.
Go on, explore the Anbar campaign reporting at the Fourth Rail. I found it illuminating.
or - I was wrong
Over the last few weeks I have started exploring the conservative Milblogs. The blogs tend to be made of of military or ex-military bloggers who are focused on Iraq. They have long been saying that Iraq is the right place to be and the war is winnable. I don't agree that we should be in Iraq - it was wrong when we did it, it's still wrong now. However, we are there. And to leave is to create a vacuum which will first be filled by a civil war and then be filled by the Iranians. We have to stay - as long as it takes.
There is an interesting piece in the CS Monitor about the "New" military strategy in Iraq. This "new" strategy has been widely blogged by the Milbloggers for awhile (since late summer).
Explore the Anbar campaign on the Fourth Rail blog or go to Threatwatch for good coverage of the boots on the ground. I won't repeat them here, but I do find their portrayal of the current state of Iraq persuasive. We can, and are winning. Which is to say, the insurgents can be defeated. That doesn't mean Iraq will become a democracy or look anything like the US in the future. It merely means the insurgent (including Al Qeada) pose more of a political/media threat than military.
Go on, explore the Anbar campaign reporting at the Fourth Rail. I found it illuminating.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
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READ THIS!!!
maybe Iraq ain't so bad
Daniel Drezner has a very interesting post about a Pew Research Center opinion poll about Iraq. From this article it appears there is a divergence of opinion - elites (academics, foreign policy wonks, and the like) are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the prospect of democracy in Iraq. The US military is overwhelmingly optimistic. Guess where the general public falls?
With the military! And even more interestingly, the Iraqi people themselve are optimistic! Kinda makes me wonder who is really out of touch.
For most of the war I would have sided with the elites. But my thoughts are changing. Reead the whole thing. It's interesting - for instance, average income in Iraqi is now 30% higher than under Sadam. I would not have thought so, especially given the constantly negative reporting by the mainstream American media.
Read it!
maybe Iraq ain't so bad
Daniel Drezner has a very interesting post about a Pew Research Center opinion poll about Iraq. From this article it appears there is a divergence of opinion - elites (academics, foreign policy wonks, and the like) are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the prospect of democracy in Iraq. The US military is overwhelmingly optimistic. Guess where the general public falls?
With the military! And even more interestingly, the Iraqi people themselve are optimistic! Kinda makes me wonder who is really out of touch.
For most of the war I would have sided with the elites. But my thoughts are changing. Reead the whole thing. It's interesting - for instance, average income in Iraqi is now 30% higher than under Sadam. I would not have thought so, especially given the constantly negative reporting by the mainstream American media.
Read it!
Monday, November 21, 2005
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THE PRESIDENT WAS ABDUCTED
err...maybe trapped is a better way to put it
Mr. Bush embarrassed himself yet again. During a news conference in China, while trying to escape reporters, he walked into a locked door. To which he quipped:
"I was trying to escape. Obviously, it didn't work."
Sadly he and his supporters don't seem to see that he is also doing the same with regard to Iraq.
err...maybe trapped is a better way to put it
Mr. Bush embarrassed himself yet again. During a news conference in China, while trying to escape reporters, he walked into a locked door. To which he quipped:
"I was trying to escape. Obviously, it didn't work."
Sadly he and his supporters don't seem to see that he is also doing the same with regard to Iraq.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
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SOMETHING ABOUT A LEOPARD AND ITS SPOTS
or, Cheneyism creeps ever forward
It has been long time since I’ve blogged about this topic. But indulge me, let’s look a the latest example of the Bush administration’s obsession with secrecy.
On September 21, 2005 the EPA issued a press release about the Toxics Release Inventory. The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is considered a landmark piece of legislation in the environmental community. It is seen as powerful tool that helped reduced emissions. Why; because it put the spotlight on a polluting companies. There are few things as motivating as bad press. The TRI compares nicely with one of may favorite quotes, which happens to be from Louis Brandeis:
"Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman."
Sadly the innocuous sounding press release seeks to cripple the TRI. The EPA doesn’t come out and say it, no. Instead, their press release reads like the proposal is a sensible way to reduce unreasonable governmental burdens. That is pure propaganda. But don’t take my word for it. The OMB rightly notes that this proposal is more than just a reporting change, instead the,
“EPA has been aggressively pursuing major changes to the TRI program with little consideration of the vital information communities will loose under these change.”
This is Cheneyism through and through. Shroud the workings of government in secrecy in the name of improvement. Couple this with demanding the country, and the world, “trust us” and you have a very scary ideology. It’s a political method that concentrates power, with scary results.
or, Cheneyism creeps ever forward
It has been long time since I’ve blogged about this topic. But indulge me, let’s look a the latest example of the Bush administration’s obsession with secrecy.
On September 21, 2005 the EPA issued a press release about the Toxics Release Inventory. The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is considered a landmark piece of legislation in the environmental community. It is seen as powerful tool that helped reduced emissions. Why; because it put the spotlight on a polluting companies. There are few things as motivating as bad press. The TRI compares nicely with one of may favorite quotes, which happens to be from Louis Brandeis:
"Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman."
Sadly the innocuous sounding press release seeks to cripple the TRI. The EPA doesn’t come out and say it, no. Instead, their press release reads like the proposal is a sensible way to reduce unreasonable governmental burdens. That is pure propaganda. But don’t take my word for it. The OMB rightly notes that this proposal is more than just a reporting change, instead the,
“EPA has been aggressively pursuing major changes to the TRI program with little consideration of the vital information communities will loose under these change.”
This is Cheneyism through and through. Shroud the workings of government in secrecy in the name of improvement. Couple this with demanding the country, and the world, “trust us” and you have a very scary ideology. It’s a political method that concentrates power, with scary results.
