In the US we are not taught the necessary background of the armed forces as a profession. That and the media moving into ideological modes that supported that non-education has put distance between the rest of the professional classes in the US and the military profession. Early on in Iraq Mr. Fernandez pointed out the similarities between Iraq and the Philippine experience of the US armed forces circa 1901-15. Those similarities still hold true and the modern armed forces have demonstrated institutional adaptability beyond what the punditry expected. The British wanted to depend upon their limited force concept and Irish experience, when their Malay experience would have been a better substitute. By stressing anti-colonialist sentiment, the British have not properly inculcated their full depth of experience, which is beyond just constabulary policing, but in creating peace, not just trying to broker it.
It is well taken that we have not bothered to learn, as a citizenry, about the profession of military arms in COIN beyond main battle formation warfare. That reflection of ideology in the classroom leaves us ill-prepared in life to understand that the world is a harsh place and often needs harsh treatment to remedy it. Part of that harshness is to create civilized space where culture and society can flourish and learn to protect itself. Wishing for human nature to change so as to be non-violent ignores the drives of people as individuals for wanting wealth, power and control over their fellow man and the willingness to use truly barbaric means to get same. We attempt push that aside at our collective peril, for those are the very forces that threaten society, culture and individuality at its core. The ability to put down a tyrant and those seeking despotic ends is only a part of that, the other is opening your hand and hearts to the oppressed and sustaining them so they can learn how to protect themselves over the long haul. America does not like to start wars, and Saddam did not keep to his ceasefires and was still warring even when confined… I would rather that problem have been taken care of in 1991. And Americans do not like to revisit places militarily, for it is usually worse for all concerned the second time around: better to end the fight for *good* by creating something that is accountable and sustainable by the societies involved.
Untaught, it goes unlearned.
Unlearned, it goes unthought.
Without thinking and memory we are doomed to a worse life, not a better one.
