In my previous post in this series, I explained that the basic assumption of counterinsurgency is that combat troops can live with a local population, protect them, and obtain a measure of communal respect such that the population will form relationships with our troops versus our opponents. To do this, the doctrine requires that our [...]
Archive for March, 2009
Drop Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, Part 2: Effect of Counterinsurgency Deployment on Troops Undermines Counterinsurgency Premises
Posted: March 24, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, COIN, counterinsurgency, Iraq, psychology
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Drop Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, Part 1
Posted: March 24, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Christianity, counterinsurgency, FCNL, Jesus, Marines Corps, Rethink Afghanistan, Sojourners, U.S. Army, United for Peace and Justice, Wallis
I’ve written quite a bit about the challenges inherent in counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. In this series of posts, I want to go further argue that the U.S. should abandon the paradigm of counterinsurgency altogether with regard to its dealings with Afghanistan. I oppose this paradigm on several levels, including a moral/religious level and a strategic [...]
I put up a long post over at DailyKos on the sixth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. UPDATE: My post got picked up by Brave New Films, also. And my friend Jason also shared his thoughts on the six-year anniversary.
Escalating Strikes, Escalating Dissent
Posted: March 18, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Christianity, civilian casualties, Jesus, nonviolence, Obama, Pakistan, Predator, Quetta, Rethink Afghanistan
When they shall paint our sockets gray And light us like a stinking fuse, Remember that once we could say, Yesterday we had a world to lose. –Stanley Kunitz, Statement, Poets Against the War Today, the New York Times reports that the Obama Administration may widen the use of unmanned aerial vehicle strikes to attempt [...]
The Business of Burning Human Beings
Posted: March 17, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: arms dealers, Christianity, Iraq, Irresistible Revolution, Jesus, Jesus for President, Lockheed Martin, nonviolence, Shane Claiborne, war profiteering
While U.S. manufacturing exports dry up, one particular group of U.S. exporters are still raking in money: the arms dealers. Via Trade and Taxes: It turns out that in 2007 the US had the lowest share of global manufacturing output on record. For the first time since the UN began keeping these statistics in 1970, [...]
The Day After Tomorrow
Posted: March 17, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, anti-war, biden, Iraq, Lynn Woolsey, McCain, Obama, Rumsfeld, surge
Thursday marks the sixth anniversary of the U.S.’s military assault on Iraq. The occupation continues today, although President Obama recently stated his intent to withdraw our forces: Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end….And under the Status of Forces Agreement with the [...]
Lorica
Posted: March 16, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Dear's Cry, Lorica, Saint Patrick, St. Patrick's Breastplate
I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through the belief in the threeness, Through the confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism, Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial, Through the strength of his [...]
Maximilian
Posted: March 12, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: conscientious objection, Early Christians, nonviolence
Today is the feast day of St. Maximilian of Tebessa, a Christian martyred in antiquity for refusing to serve in the Roman military: …The proconsul Dion said, “What are you called ?” Maximilianus replied, “Why do you want to know my name ? It is not permitted to me to serve in the military since [...]
Another Poll Shows More People Want Less or the Same Number of Troops in Afghanistan vs. More
Posted: March 11, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Christ, Christian, Christianity, escalation, Jesus, John McKenzie, nonviolence
CBS News/The New York Times sponsored a poll on the question of troop levels in Afghanistan that shows the number of people who want less or the same number of troops in Afghanistan outnumber those who want escalation. These numbers are more consistent with the Harris/BBC America poll I blogged about a few weeks ago [...]
Conscientious Objection is a Human Right
Posted: March 10, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Abu Ghraib, conscientious objection, Courage to Resist, Helen Woodson, Jesus, Joshua Casteel, nonviolence, Rafil Dhafir, Robin Long, War Resisters International
On this day in 1987, the United Nations Human Rights Commission recognized conscientious objection to military service as a basic human right. Almost 2,000 years prior to that, Jesus told his followers to put down their weapons. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword [...]
