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  1. #1
    Council Member G Martin's Avatar
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    I think we broaden the discussion and articles to include other examples of small wars- instead of being so OEF/OIF-specific- like others have said. That said, it is very difficult to get politicians and their staffs to get some deeper knowledge of those fights, much less fights that aren't in the news...

    I'd echo getting funding up in order to sponsor writing competitions and also conferences- either unilateral or co-hosting or just participating in somehow. I personally haven't been involved in them- but I know there are some IW, etc. conferences held annually- and getting involved with those, maybe SWJ sponsoring a contributor or two or an editor participation/involvement/attendance might be beneficial.

  2. #2
    Council Member Dayuhan's Avatar
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    In many places it's difficult for serving members of a military (or those employed in government) to publish anything that deviates in any way from the official line, and in some places that might apply even to those in retirement. Not all military/political cultures are tolerant of dissent. It still might be possible to attract input from other stakeholders in conflict areas, who might have more freedom to express original views.

    I've always wanted to see participation from current or past insurgents, though it's easier to talk about than to arrange.

    For the journal it might be worth putting out groups of articles focused on specific regions or issues, asking experts to contribute and discuss varying viewpoints.

    I think there may be a perception in some quarters that the site is primarily by and for Americans and those in the military, and that participants form outside those parameters are not as easily accepted. I don't think that perception is accurate at all, but as with so many perceptions it can have an impact even if it's not accurate. I'm not sure how that could be overcome, but it might help to have roundtable discussions on specific issues and invite or actively solicit participation from serious, informed foreign critics of US policy.

    For the Council... I wouldn't say quality has declined, but I do notice that some of the people who were active participants when I joined, and whose posts made me want to join, are no longer active. That's probably inevitable; participants will always come and go. The question of how to build the participant base while maintaining quality will always be here, I suppose.
    “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”

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  3. #3
    Council Member Fuchs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dayuhan View Post
    In many places it's difficult for serving members of a military (or those employed in government) to publish anything that deviates in any way from the official line, and in some places that might apply even to those in retirement.
    The Armor and IIRC Infantry Journal appeared to be platforms for occasional dissenting opinions during the 90's, but according to my observation / memory this largely ceased to be true when the top forced the "we need to be quickly deployable for relevance = bureaucratical budget retainment" Stryker hysteria on the armor and infantry branches.
    By that time the journals turned into propaganda outlets.

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    Council Member jcustis's Avatar
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    It would be nice if the guys who keep the lights on here, Bill and Dave, could weigh in.

    Where this place is, relative to where it was when things started out, and their vision of where they think it needs to go, it pretty important.

    It's also important to define relevancy. For whom? Academics, practitioners, hobbyists...everyone? That sets the context as well.

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    Moderator Steve Blair's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
    It would be nice if the guys who keep the lights on here, Bill and Dave, could weigh in.

    Where this place is, relative to where it was when things started out, and their vision of where they think it needs to go, it pretty important.

    It's also important to define relevancy. For whom? Academics, practitioners, hobbyists...everyone? That sets the context as well.
    Concur, but we should also remember that this same sort of thing happened after Vietnam. No more limited wars was the cry then, and we're seeing the same sort of thing now. We're also seeing a bit of rehash of "any good soldier can deal with guerrillas." Maybe yes, maybe no, but it's always helpful to have reminders of what can work and what is a really bad idea floating around somewhere.
    "On the plains and mountains of the American West, the United States Army had once learned everything there was to learn about hit-and-run tactics and guerrilla warfare."
    T.R. Fehrenbach This Kind of War

  6. #6
    Council Member Dayuhan's Avatar
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    Winding down the "big small wars" in Iraq and Afghanistan might be an opportunity to devote more attention to smaller small wars around the world, including those in which the US is not an active participant. It might also be an opportunity to advance discussion of the policy issues surrounding the decisions to enter small wars or assist the combatants. There's no shortage of material for discussion there, and there will certainly be useful observations of Iraq and Afghanistan long after we leave.
    “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”

    H.L. Mencken

  7. #7
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    Sheesh. The world is on fire. If global financial situations don't take an upturn, there will be a ton of small wars. There is so much going on everywhere that just doesn't receive conveniently viewable coverage here. I like anything on here from someone who is actually doing things, although it is hard to tell, people don't really put their C.V. On every post. I was surprised to see this subject after a long absence, I was thinking that asymmetric warfare was the new norm, and SWJ in a great position to be right on it.

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