Sadly very true, and which is why Military Thought has really got to become the formalised study of the past to gain knowledge and skills to apply to the future.Originally Posted by Tom Odom
We say we do it.... but we do not.
Sadly very true, and which is why Military Thought has really got to become the formalised study of the past to gain knowledge and skills to apply to the future.
We say we do it.... but we do not.
Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"
- The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
- If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition
Peter Mansoor's "Baghdad at Sunrise" or Dexter Filkin's "The Forever War": which should I pick up next?
Filkins
I have both on the shelf, but have only read Filkin's book so far. That said, it is a deep and emotional read. The book is stories and observations from his travels during The Long War. Some really exciting and sad stuff, definitely a must read.
"What do you think this is, some kind of encounter group?"
- Harry Callahan, The Enforcer.
Clan Politics and Regime Transition in Central Asia.
Feeding my poli-sci side. Not the most involving read, but a good way to refocus on the importance of informal networks and power relations after focusing on state-level relations for so long.
Now reading After Hegemony, Nagel's the Sling and the Stone, and Xenophon's Anabasis
You dirty dirty realist.
General - Statesman
Am finishing up William Manchester's bio of MacArthur (American Caesar).
MacArthur's actions in post-war Japan are ripe for what can be done WRT nation-building.
Sadly, the "global network" makes things too interconnected today to allow an individual that level of autonomy; nor is any entity (nation, military, criminal enterprise, economic aid, diplomatic resolve, etc.) able to be that decisive.
Decisive individual since McArthur?
Cap'n Jake,
I think you are wrong it is possible for an individual to be decisive. The US retired General Jacques "Joe" Klein led a remarkable UN mission in Eastern Slavonia, a Serb rebel enclave in Croatia, which was re-integrated with robust action: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...estern_Sirmium
IIRC he was backed by "interested parties", with a UN mandate, which both Croatia and local parties had to accept and a robust Jordanian Army battallion which gave him "muscle".
Cannot recall other UN missions which had such a figure and mission.
davidbfpo
I have Filkin's and have read Mansoor's. "Baghdad" is a great book, well written, interesting and from a civilian's point of view, it opened up a whole new world about how an effective brigade did things in unconventional and relatively conventional roles.
"We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene
Doing a little 'light' reading on some topics outside of small wars. All three are philosophical in nature but explore science, religion, and capitalism in very definitive ways.
1. Why does E=MC^2 by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw
2. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Next up is Tom and Stan's most excellent adventure. It was on back order at Border's, but the assistant was well aware of the author.
Mike
Ayn is a bit of a crazy person, but can (sometimes) be fun to read nonetheless. The recent book of her Q&As was particularly interesting to me. You should check it out if you are interested in some of her philosophy.Doing a little 'light' reading on some topics outside of small wars. All three are philosophical in nature but explore science, religion, and capitalism in very definitive ways.
1. Why does E=MC^2 by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw
2. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Next up is Tom and Stan's most excellent adventure. It was on back order at Border's, but the assistant was well aware of the author
Mike
I haven't started atlas shrugged yet. I want to read it b/c it has profoundly impacted many of our current heads of business and politics. From a short biography that I read about her, she seems to write her philosophies to justify her own lifestyle- similar to Immanuel Kant. We'll see. The other two books are really good. Cox and Forshaw have written a prose book to explain modern physics to laymen like me
I'm not really a huge fan of reading fiction for philosophy, as you often have to wade though a whole bunch of nonsense to elicit a view that in any case isn't explicitly spelled out. Her nonfiction philosophical works like Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, the Virtue of Selfishness and Capitalism the Unknown Ideal (or for a good overview her "For the New Intellectual") provide a much denser explanation for her views, and allow you to avoid reading a dreadful behemoth like Atlas Shrugged (1200 pages of bliss it is not). But if you enjoy pain, then you may well love itI haven't started atlas shrugged yet. I want to read it b/c it has profoundly impacted many of our current heads of business and politics. From a short biography that I read about her, she seems to write her philosophies to justify her own lifestyle- similar to Immanuel Kant. We'll see. The other two books are really good. Cox and Forshaw have written a prose book to explain modern physics to laymen like me
Mike a better Ayn Rand book for you and shorter is her collection of essays called Philosophy: Who Needs It? It starts with an address she gave to the cadets at West Point, which I posted on here a few years back.I haven't started atlas shrugged yet. I want to read it b/c it has profoundly impacted many of our current heads of business and politics. From a short biography that I read about her, she seems to write her philosophies to justify her own lifestyle- similar to Immanuel Kant. We'll see. The other two books are really good. Cox and Forshaw have written a prose book to explain modern physics to laymen like me
Last edited by Jedburgh; 11-02-2009 at 11:01 PM. Reason: Added link.
That's good for catching up to the benchmark - where we should already be, but aren't.
The world is nevertheless changing and it requires new balances and new ideas as well. The innovative thought is important to address that.
It's not enough to adopt old innovations, ideas and insights.
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