The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    What If The People Who Want To Go To War In Syria Are Fantasists?

    By Michael Maiello on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 3:17pm | Politics

    This Foreign Affairs article by Kenneth M. Pollack is a sight to behold. In it, the Brookings Senior Fellow and oft-quoted historian of military history in the Middle East, suggests that the United States should recruit, train, fund and equip a new Syrian army capable of defeating ISIS and deposing Bashar al-Assad at the same time.

    I'm not making this up.  What he is proposing is, in fact, no more ridiculous than using Boba Fett's father's DNA to create an army of obedient clone warriors to bring peace to the region. Alternately, he has it on good authority that Gandalf has struck up some sort of alliance with hyper-intelligent eagles of considerable size.

    One of the problems about making the tough choices that we are being called upon to make these choices in a world where fools and fantasists have a lot of power.  I mean, just read this part:

    “If history is any guide, as the new force started to beat back both the regime and the Islamist extremists, fairly administer its territory, and prove to the world that the United States and its allies were determined to see it succeed, growing numbers of Syrians should flock to its cause. This surge of public support would generate more volunteers for the army and a groundswell of momentum for the opposition movement, factors that have often proved decisive in similar conflicts.”

    All we need, says Pollack, is "the will to try."  Also, a lot of money.  Also the willingness to suspend our disbelief and trust that all the weapons we're going to hand over to the happy new fantasy army will never, ever be used against Americans or their interests.

    You know who we should get to fight in Syria for us?  Vampires.  We'd save a fortune on night vision goggles.

    Topics: 
    Politics

    Comments

    There are people who are fantasists for sure Michael, absolutely.  And that's why, unlike 2002, before things move beyond our control, we need to put the Pollacks of the world to the test.  Nice work.


    by Bruce Levine on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 3:35pm

    Just to finish the thought with an example, I'm fairly certain that back in 2002, Ken Pollack was a go-to guy for Josh Marshall.  That will hopefully not be the case this time.  I think it is critically important to understand the various narratives being  bandied about -- reminding us about Pollack is a good start, and edited to add that the narrative can't be ceded to others.


    by Bruce Levine on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 3:46pm

    The link to the article does not work. The article is not available on the site.


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 4:25pm

    Pollack has been very good at marketing himself.  In 2002 he was the non-neocon pro- war guy, marketed as a honest to goodness expert.  His book making the case for war was a huge influence on people like Josh who, I think, were good natured and well intended in their desire to see if there were arguments other than the ridiculous Bush arguments, that made the case for invading Iraq. I might be fighting the last war but Pollack is clearly still influential. I can't see why else Foreign Policy would have published him.


    by Michael Maiello on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 4:35pm

    They published his nonsense because he's well-known in foreign policy circles, and his book was successful. I dare say that noone who holds genuine sway in policy decisions is paying any attention to this latest bid for celebrity.


    by barefooted on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 5:13pm

    I would echo what barefooted just wrote, and you've probably some of that good ole' boys and girls club atmosphere in journalism circles.  That's my hunch; these folks take care of each other like that.   Kind of almost human naturish -- or something.


    by Bruce Levine on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 7:26pm

    This isn't what Bruce linked but it's Josh's Washington Monthly article about Pollack's book from 2002.  Likely tells the same story.


    by Michael Maiello on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 4:38pm

    Thx

     


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 5:50pm

    Yes, Michael thanks, sorry about the link. This is what I'm talking about.


    by Bruce Levine on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 7:07pm

    Been there ... done that

     

    Charlie Wilson ... he lead Congress into supporting Operation Cyclone , the largest-ever CIA covet operation during both  the Carter and Reagan's Administrations supplied military equipment including anti-aircraft weapons such as antiaircraft missiles and paramilitary officers from their Special Services Division Special  to the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

     

    And we were blessed with the Taliban and bin Laden for our efforts. Seems they learned that a small, incoherent ideology with loose command structure can be used to force a super power to their knees. It takes no large army or trained fighting forces with tanks, ships or planes ... just someone with enough TNT strapped to their body and willing to blow themselves up around a group of innocent bystanders.

     

    Figure out how to isolate and confine the lone suicide bomber and detect IED's and you'll take the wind out of their sails, leaving them floundering in the doldrums.


    by Beetlejuice on Mon, 09/08/2014 - 2:34pm

    Could  static electricity set off a bomb prematurely? 

    Van de Graaff generator.

     


    by Resistance on Mon, 09/08/2014 - 3:07pm