michael brenner

Two generals chat about Afghanistan (a funny, sad, horrifying look at our war)

By / 6 Comments / 8 May 2017

Summary: Here Michael Brenner (Prof International Relations) perfectly captures the madness of our long war (no wins yet after 15 years) in this fictional conversation between two of its leaders. Comedy equal to anything in 1950s theater of the absurd. Unfortunately the wars it describes are real, as are our casualties and squandered wealth. The colossus …

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Obama rolls the dice in Iraq, as we hope for victory thru folly

By / 9 Comments / 15 June 2015

Summary: The most fascinating aspect of our new round of wars in the Middle East is their endorsement by people who were wrong about the first round, and condemnation by those who were correct. Here’s a keen analysis by Michael Brenner about the folly of our new adventure in Iraq. Our strategy is little but …

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Members of the Deep State exchange high-fives, celebrating our passivity

By / 2 Comments / 1 November 2014

Summary:  On 6 June 2013 the Guardian and Washington Post published the first in the latest round of revelations about the NSA’s surveillance programs. Amidst the outpouring of brave rhetoric about the need to change, I predicted that nothing would happen. Rather, our passivity would encourage the leaders of the national security state (aka the …

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What is the best measure of success to our expedition to Iraq?

By / Leave a Comment / 2 June 2013

I find National Journal an interesting and valuable website.  Esp their national security blog, which features brief provocative blognotes with responses from experts.  Here’s an example, followed by the most interesting replies. “A ‘New Dawn’ In Iraq, Or More Darkness?“, James Kitfield (bio), 22 February 2010: This week the Obama administration renamed the Iraq war “Operation New …

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