Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
Hi Mark,

Agreed with one exception.



This is an assumption based out of older communications technologies where a "community" is geographically based. Nowadays, when a "community" can, and often is, global, the "ills" that lead to an insurgency are those defined by the community, not the state or society alone. If you want early historical examples, the earliest I can think of is the Bar Kochba revolt which was financed and supported (intel, recruitment, etc.) by a diaspora community. Later examples include the actions of the 5th Comintern (redefinition of a situation as an "ill") and the RC development of liberation theology in Central America. Today, the irhabists are using the same format of "redefinition".

Marc

G'Day Marc,

You have assumed that I have used 'society' in the sense of a body of humans anchored to a locale. I actually intended it in the wider sense that you have described, so I think we are in violent agreement.

Rob,

I tend to agree with you - from the evidence readily available it would seem that the US Military has done a good job of realisation and adaptation (never easy to do for any organisation, let alone a military) in a relatively short time. OK, it is not perfect, but few things are in life.

The main problem is that whilst this change and adaptation has been 100% necessary for the continued prosecution of the 'fight', it is not of itself a strategic 'end'.

I believe that many of the commentators fail to realise that a COIN adapted military is merely an enabler for success (in the same way a COIN adapted interagency would be), and that the success sought can only be gained through adept use of this and all the other tools required at the strategic level.

The ongoing fascination that commentators and pundits have with the mechanics and metrics of the 'surge' is an indication of this failure to 'get' the distinction between the elements of coherent strategy and their relative places. Not many of them seem to have considered the possibility that the surge could be spectacularly successful, and still achieve nothing practicable regarding the root causes of the current conflict.

Cheers

Mark