What have we learned (2000-2010)?

"Political Solution" and "Military Solution", if you use the latter; or perhaps better, in the terms used by brothers Mao and Giap, "Political Struggle" and "Military Struggle". The appropriate mix of the "Political" and the "Military" in a given situation is really the graduation question, isn't it.

One point of confusion regarding the "Political Struggle" is that its "politics" are not necessarily the same as the "politics" that drive the "policy" - of which, the "Military Struggle" and the "Political Struggle" are continuations.

E.g., In both China and Vietnam (I and II), land reform was the major component of the anti-feudal "Political Struggle"; and would have resulted in a vastly increased number of independent farm owners. However, the Communist politics and policy required ultimate collectivization of farming, with "land reform" being only an intermediate step (sufficient to bring the communists to power).

We (US) are far from integrating the "Political Struggle" and the "Military Struggle" into our doctrines concerning armed conflicts.

Regards

Mike

I was going to post this on my thread about the second american revolution because it is probabaly one of the most important documentaries I have ever seen. With the recent events about book burning and mosque building it is more important than ever. It origanlly aired September 7, 2010 so I could not post it on the other thead but it will air again on September 11,2010 check local HBO listings. It is the story of a reporter/writer/producer who tried to understand AL-Qaeda and find out why they attacked out country and what we need to learn about it. And yes he uses good old police methods:)so you know it is good stuff! A link to the short conclusion is below. His conclusion is so important I will write it out even though I kant spel stuff two good.:D

http://www.lawrencewright.com/scripts.html

"The country that we were is being sucked inside. Al-Qaeda cannot destroy our country only we can do that to ourselves!"

Cross-posted from my blog:

Quote:

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Years ago (2004) I watched a video of an Iraqi insurgent kneeling on a street, aiming a RPG-7 and getting shot (by a Bradley IFV's coax machine gun). Like probably most Western viewers of that video, I though "What an unskilled moron. Kneeling on an open street - no camouflage, no concealment!".

Well, today I had a Déjà vu.


The apparently ultra-low marksmanship skill of the average current opponents coupled with hard body armour plates will probably burn very, very stupid lessons into Western armies' institutional memories.
Remember the blunders of Israeli army forces in Lebanon 2006 after raiding marginally defended Palestinian territories for years!

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I guess we all know what we should learn not only within this 10 years' timeframe, but since aeons ago that war isn't a solution to problems.

We have kids at home watching on TVs seeing that adults solve problem with violence, and we all know kids learn from examples.

We know and teach that violence can't solve problems, but we aren't practicing what we preach.

The world has been teaching us the same thing ages after ages, but humans have to open their heart and accept that teaching. That is what I think we all are lacking.