Folks,

Some may be interested in Mark Bowden's thoughts on the American military in the 21st century, 10 years after publication of Black Hawk Down.

Full text here:

http://bellum.stanfordreview.org/?p=870

Clip for discussion:

"I have also been struck increasingly by how much warfare plays out publicly and in real time, so that appearances matter as much or more than battlefield outcomes. Because we own the world’s most powerful military, we need to be especially careful to use it sparingly, justly, legally (insofar as international law exists), and with careful attention to world opinion, mindful always that the best intentions of a nation can be undone by a single bystander with a digital camera."

Thought the last sentence was a particularly eloquent way of putting it.

Best,

Tristan