tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070229262860530921.post6023878151861553028..comments2023-06-20T19:32:32.299+04:30Comments on Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure: Connect The DotsBill and Bob's Excellent Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340122322147987992noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070229262860530921.post-65325602734037352682009-06-28T23:38:45.047+04:302009-06-28T23:38:45.047+04:30fnord: How to pay for something is always a quest...fnord: How to pay for something is always a question. The question is <i>how</i> do we want to pay for it? Cohen would like to convince everyone that we can choose not to pay this cost and that will be the end of it. This is a gap in his analysis... an alternative that does not bear significant national security risks for ourselves and our partners; as well as the Central Asian region. <br /><br />It's similar to having a transmission problem that you've been ignoring for a long time. Finally the problem gets bad enough for you to have your mechanic go in and take a look at it. The mechanic becomes aware that it is not only a transmission problem, but a problem actually started because of an engine problem. They will be expensive to fix, but you can also just decline the work and take the car as is... and take your luck as it comes. <br /><br />Cohen advises the latter. He offers nothing but an assertion that all the people who really do have an understanding of the region are dead wrong. There will be no repercussions to abandonment, he claims. He goes on to make the ridiculous claim that abandonment of the task at hand will actually increase our security and our standing in the world. <br /><br />The funny thing is that Cohen actually advocates engine maintenance. But in this case, he's afraid that developing the ability to fix transmissions and engines at the same time will mean that engine work will always involve transmission work. Coindinistas point out that engine and transmission work at the same time is both difficult and expensive, and that preventive maintenance on engines will prevent the costlier and more difficult transmission work. This is where Cohen misses his cue, and where he could actually bring value. His missing the point here is where he lets us all down; because he does have some really good points on some other issues. Like engine maintenance. <br /><br />Cohen's analysis is driven by the fear that if we are successful in the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, it will become our default mode of operation. Most of his other assertions comes from this flawed and fearful premise. When he makes a good point, it is an obvious one... like this stuff is expensive... but he offers no reasonable alternative. <br /><br />While Cohen offers no sensible alternative to our current needs in AfPak, he does offer a method for avoiding such situations in the future; developing the capability to influence positively before situations degrade to the point that military intervention would ever need be considered.Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04340122322147987992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070229262860530921.post-42131539554189393312009-06-28T17:34:31.185+04:302009-06-28T17:34:31.185+04:30While I agree with you on the issue, Cohen raises ...While I agree with you on the issue, Cohen raises one point that a lot of "Coindinistas" seem reluctant to adress: The economic and logistical cost of a 10year+ engagement in Af/Pak. To take my own country, Norway, who has approx 500 in country now: Our homeland defense is such that we have standing troops enough to perhaps defend parts of Oslo for approx three days should something crazy happen. All resources are totally focused on our Out of Area mission, all our coming aquisitions are bound to the US profile and looks set to be so for the next 10 years. All this is expended on a mission with no clear endstate formulated, no cost-estimate presented, and with little real change seeming to be coming to a commandstructure wich is deeply baffling. I think COIN might be a better sell if some sort of fiscal honesty was part of the presentation package, as well as some sort of plan that could be understood by non-military folks. Just sayin.fnordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070229262860530921.post-50215735970845819922009-06-26T20:18:21.471+04:302009-06-26T20:18:21.471+04:30"...The military needs to be making clear to ..."...The military needs to be making clear to the civilian leadership precisely how difficult counter-insurgency can be and why they should think twice about trying to implement such an approach...." WTF?membrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01527550651850993396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070229262860530921.post-63260140512508791752009-06-26T11:27:56.649+04:302009-06-26T11:27:56.649+04:30AARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!
What is wrong with everyone! I ...AARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!<br /><br />What is wrong with everyone! I feel like I'm on crazy pills!<br /><br />Keep up the good work!<br /><br />Best Regards,<br />Albert<br /><a href="http://trochronicles.blogspot.com/2009/06/peta-why-i-despise-them.html" rel="nofollow">PeTA: Cruel to Children</a><br /><a href="http://trochronicles.blogspot.com/2009/05/where-do-hsus-donations-really-go.html" rel="nofollow">Where do Donations to the HSUS Go?</a>.Albert A Raschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11431765456546701021noreply@blogger.com