Posted on | April 3, 2012 | No Comments
I loved this piece from Carnet Atlantique’s Paul Weinberg. For those who have not yet had the pleasure, I would recommend this free and scathing e-mag. It has a view of the world almost as jaundiced as its leaders…
Weinberg’s article sums up, albeit satirically, the avarice that is driving the allegedly developed world swiftly to oblivion. So, before I succumb to the urge to re-mount my soapbox, have a read of these fine articles. Maybe it’s not too late for sanity to prevail?
Afghanistan, the new Vietnam.
Posted on | March 9, 2012 | 1 Comment
Many years ago I met a man who had spent time fighting in Vietnam. As a professional soldier, he had reached the rank of senior sergeant and had survived three tours in the country. On his last, a year or so before the ignominious flight from the US Embassy roof in Saigon, he had been tasked with training local troops to take over from the US Marines.
‘We have American boys in Paris Island to train for combat. They don’t want to be there, but in ten weeks we turn them into adequate fighting men. I have been training these South Vietnamese for a year. First fire fight you can’t find one of them who hasn’t panicked, run off or been shot.‘
Unsurprisingly, when the Americans left, the North Vietnamese rolled over this newly trained army in days.
So, where am I going with this? I think it is about lessons that should have been learned and have instead been deliberately ignored. Take Afghan as an example.
As long ago as 1839, Britain was engaged in controlling and subduing the Afghan people. We had initial success, followed by a string of failures and a guerrilla war that lasted for years and cost many lives. Eventually we pulled out having allegedly left an infrastructure that would survive. The country immediately returned to its tribal state.
In the 1979, the might of the Soviet Union was thrown at this small, tribal country. The reasons behind the invasion are many, various and about as logical as all the invasions before or since. Ironically, like many other wars involving small countries (Iraq to name but one), the USA was supplying arms to the ‘underdogs’. After almost ten years of getting the arses kicked the Soviets withdrew. It cost many lives. The country immediately returned to its tribal state.
Are you seeing the pattern yet? Now we, and our allies, are busy training the local army to resist the Taliban, actually a mixture of tribes, drug growers and fanatics, many armed in the conflict above.
Almost everyone agrees, whether publicly or behind closed doors, that as soon as the Allied forces withdraw we will have another Vietnam on our hands.
I have heard all the excuses/reasons for this conflict, or at least as many as I can stand to hear. But the bottom line remains the same. The world is not a toy that you can pull apart and reassemble to suit your present view. Imposing your will on an unwilling people is neither moral, sensible nor likely to succeed.
Good News – or maybe just not bad
Posted on | March 9, 2012 | No Comments
puttsk
Well, it took long enough, but at last I have found something that errs on the side of good news. It’s true that the Japanese have still slaughtered too many whales this year, but not as many as they might have. The question, I suppose, is why the rest of the world allows them, and a couple of other otherwise civilised nations, to continue this barbarism. The claim that they are killing whales for scientific research is bullshit of the clearest kind. It is purely commercial whaling, and should not be allowed.
Anyway, this at least is a positive story.
Blogroll
- Chuck Wendig. A really funny writer, with some good advice in there too. NB Adult content!
- Krissy Brady, a website dedicated to keeping the passion for writing alive. Go Krissy!
- Quicklook eBooks – fascinating books by experts on a range of subjects.
- Savvy Freelancer – advice and guidance for freelancers. And a great copywriter, too.
- Successful Writer newsletter – good info and inspiration from a reliable source.
