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A Conversation With the Boots on the Ground
I have spent many hours speaking at length with the generals who are running our wars in the Middle East, like David Petraeus (click here for “The Spotlight Moves to Petraeus” at http://www.madhedgefundtrader.com/june-28-2010-4.html ), and James E. Cartwright (click here for “My Briefing with the Joint Chiefs of Staff” at http://www.madhedgefundtrader.com/august-20-2010-3.html ). To get the boots on the ground view, I attended the graduation of a friend at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, the world’s preeminent language training facility.
As I circulated at the reception at the once top secret installation, I heard the same view repeated over and over in the many conversations swirling around me. While the US can handily beat armies, defeating an idea is impossible. With the planet’s fastest growing population, Muslims are expected to double from one to two billion by 2050, the terrorists can breed replacements faster than we can kill them. The US will have to maintain a military presence in the Middle East for another 100 years. The goal is not to win, but to keep the war at a low cost, slow burn, over there, and away from the US.
I have never met a more determined, disciplined, and motivated group of students. There were seven teachers for 16 students, some with PhD’s and all native Arabic speakers. Many students had already completed multiple tours in Iraq, and intrigued by the baffling culture and language, were determined to master it. The Defense Department calculates the cost of this 63 week, total emersion course at $200,000 per student.
They are taught not just language, but also the history, culture, and politics of the region as well. I found myself discussing at length the origins of the Sunni/Shiite split in the 7th century, the rise of the Mughals in India in the 16th century, and the fall of the Ottoman Empire after WWI, and this was with a 19 year old private! I doubt most Americans his age could find the Middle East on a map. Students graduated with near perfect scores. If you fail a class, you get sent to Iraq, unless you are in the Air Force, which kicks you out of the service completely.
As we feasted on humus and other Arab delicacies, I studied the pictures on the wall describing the early history of the DLI in WWII, and realized that I knew several of the participants. The school was founded in 1941 to train Japanese Americans in their own language to gain an intelligence advantage in the Pacific war. General “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell said their contribution shortened the war by two years. General Douglas McArthur believed that an army had never before gone to war with so much advance knowledge about its enemy. To this day, the school’s motto is “Yankee Samurai”.
My old friends at the Foreign correspondents’ Club of Japan will remember well the late Al Pinder. He spent the summer of 1941 photographing every Eastern facing beach in Japan, successfully smuggled them out hidden in a chest full of Japanese sex toys. He then spent the rest of the war working for the OSS in China. I know this because I shared a desk in Tokyo with Al for nearly ten years. His picture is there in all his youth, accepting the Japanese surrender in Korea with the first crop of DLI graduates.
To see the data, charts, and graphs that support this research piece, as well as more iconoclastic and out-of-consensus analysis, please visit me at www.madhedgefundtrader.com . There, you will find the conventional wisdom mercilessly flailed and tortured daily, and my last two years of research reports available for free. You can also listen to me on Hedge Fund Radio by clicking on “This Week on Hedge Fund Radio” in the upper right corner of my home page.
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If we can't fight an idea, why are we fighting an idea? Any idea?
How about a policy of YAD instead of MAD from the old Cold War days. (Your Assured Destruction). If they attack us we fire of no less than 6 nukes at the point of origin.
To give it a capitalistic flavor: we have a national lottery . 6 Winners get to press the button. We pay down the national debt with the receipts instead of increasing it with 100s of billions of useless offensive and defensive measures. The winners can press the red button from a special super secure login that routes the IP to a armpit nation, from the comfort of their homes or even at the airport with their Droid or iPhone (no Flash Steve? Come-on man) .
Think of the advertising sales as each missile has a vidcam mounted . 30 Minutes of fly time, 150 Million for a 30 (20 Billion cumulative) second spot during and 2 Million for the 8 hours leading up to it and 1 million for the post action coverage. By the time it's over , the ad sales and lottery receipts will be close to a half a trillion. Because there will always be 200 million Americans willing to spend $200 a ticket 6 times.
Good God think of the gold commercials.
Slight tinge of sarcasm here
This is brilliance.
"The US will have to maintain a military presence in the Middle East for another 100 years."
Now you know why 9/11 occurred.
And you know what, with 2B muslims on this Planet I think it was worth it(9/11 i mean) as an Atheist I am scared of Christians but 100x more of Muslims, the only problem is that 9/11 does not give us the pretext of nuking the majority of them
The palestinian boy who threw a rock at an Israeli soldier behind barbed wire one day was radicalized by Islam.
Does this picture help you see the flaw in your thinking.
Muslims (edit terrorists)are the new enemy replacing communism, and MM propaganda will support this. Seems like you have bought into it. 2B muslims and how many are fanatics or so called terrorists?
The fact is that there is no such thing as a government of law and not people. The law is an amalgam of contradictory rules and counter-rules expressed in inherently vague language that can yield a legitimate legal argument for any desired conclusion. For this reason, as long as the law remains a state monopoly, it will always reflect the political ideology of those invested with decisionmaking power. Like it or not, we are faced with only two choices. We can continue the ideological power struggle for control of the law in which the group that gains dominance is empowered to impose its will on the rest of society, or we can end the monopoly.
http://faculty.msb.edu/hasnasj/GTWebSite/MythWeb.htm
You can see they will never solve a issue until you see what the true issue is. ZH is a amazing place to solve thought issues.
Obama said Republican proposals showed they were the ones not listening to voters' desires.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68O0PA20100925
Like they care on which side?
These students will be the future assholes who make matters worse. The muslim world is in big troubles. Their lands won't support a doubling of the population. The problem is... that they are all comming to Europe and America. What will you do when a state with for example 10 million muslims start rioting and demanding muslim law? That's where the problem is.
I live in Europe, and you can ask any of us and they'll all tell you the same. These last 10 years, we've seen a invasion of muslims and entire cities are getting filled with them. Take Brussels where 67% of the population is already muslim. Paris who tops it all with 73%!!!!!
And in every place they are mayority, the police stops comming. Some places really look like war zones. But you'll never see that on television. That would be racist...
+ 1,000,000 Give us a vote in the UK about the EU and they won,t like the answer.As the birth rate of immigrants outstrips our own the problems grow and will ultimately explode.If you open your mouth you are a rascist if you keep it shut you are an Ostrich.What are we handing to our children,denied their culture,birth right,history even any kind of meaningful identity,whilst at the same time as denigrating everything our nations should be proud of we allow everything alien to be so much more meaningful,right and untouchable.Shame upon our leaders who deny us our existence.
http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/11/muslim-population-in-european-... , updated sep 2010
"That would be racist...", all this jewish indoctrination over the past 50 years backfires now, Eurpeans not only cant say anything bad about a Jew they cant say anything bad about any other race, (see Zionists you did your job too good), we are caught with our pants down when a jackal is about to chew our balls off, they too our guns, they took our freedom of speech, they took away our very will to defend our selves, if the basic instincts dont kick in soon it'll be all over for Europe
I find it startling that UK Labor can now choose between this Milliband or that Milliband!!! That's all there is?!?!
Exactly.... very serious problem that will explode.
Oh look, some Nazis.
Fake religion? Isn't that an oxymoron? If it isn't an oxymoron, it is approaching it asymptotically. If there is a true faith, there can be at most only one (no doubt "mine"), so everyone who is not following the one truth is following the teachings of either a lunatic or a liar. Kind of reminds me of economists.
As for DLI, they have a very nice golf course there. Good warm up for Cypress Point.
Allah ya teek al 'afiyah!
Islam was founded by the sword not the plow, unlike christianity. Therefore it is a fake religion of peace.
Note: I am not christian nor a student of religion.Truth is stranger than fiction, because in this life they are one and the same.
Is there any story about Jesus plowing a field?
Segestan - Christianity was cynically constructed by the Roman state as a means to prolong the empire ... to prop up the state.
Many Gospels were written. Most were tossed. Only those teachings which could be tweaked in a way to meet the goals of the rulers were maintained.
Ummm...I'm positive the teachings of Christ are even acknowledged by those who believe in the teachings of Muhammad...as religiously xenophobic (Muhammad's) as they may be.
So, if you have a particular beef with Roman Catholicism just say so...otherwise, leave the the rest of the Christian's out of it...we broke away long ago ;-)
nmewn - otherwise, leave the the rest of the Christian's out of it...we broke away long ago
But you kept the Catholic new testament aka Saulism.
I'm a big fan of the Jesus story. I especially like the part about his only violent act which lead to his crucifixtion - The confrontation with money lenders in the temple.
I just think the commonly accepted story is constructed as a device and that there is another version without the agenda. What's in ther Dead Sea Scrolls for example? Why have the contents never been made available to the public? Have you ever seen this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nag_Hammadi_Library
No offense intended. I hope none taken.
Edit - I think some RC junked you.
Almost impossible to bring about change in Islam with deeply routed beliefs.
Population explosion coupled with high persentage of muslims unemployed or unemployable, mistrust even against moderate muslims, the upcoming world wide depression, famine and all the undesirable consequences that follow economic downturns, history tells us that wars will widen.
It is no longer solvable by building walls and throwing bones over the other side. the walls will be breached.
The earth has its own way of balancing the animal kigdom in the forrest, and while humans have the ability to reason, when hunger strikes it will trigger the rebalancing of population on earth.
The goal now is changing people's beliefs, which you probably have no understanding of?
Start the war machine Oracle, this one is going to take a few trillion dollars more and pits us versus them for eternity.
In a few sentences one can create a false enemy and pit them against yourself quite easily.
no mention of wars for israel?!?
fail!
http://iamthewitness.com/
Nothing new here ... the war has been ongoing for 1400 years already. Slow burn? What a joke... Islam will use pacifist in the west to put out the slow burn.
are the history lessons on Islam to the GI's also showing the historical link between Islam, Christianity and Judaism ? Such as the fact Muhammads father was a Christian, his mother a Jewish? That Islam is a fake religion founded in lies?
Dont get me wrong I agree with the US military ...but Islam should be outlawed in the west no need to police them.
Pacifists have any political weight in the West? The Internet is so nice to learn about delusion.
For deeper insight into the Arab Revolt of 1916, recommend The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by the pen of T. E. Lawrence himself (aka Lawrence of Arabia). http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Pillars-Wisdom-T-E-Lawrence/dp/0385418957
translaters aren't "boots on the ground." they're "mouths on the ground" as in "they have requested you surrender." the numbers don't lie. no Staff officer will tell you but "it's just a shot away" because the personnel simply don't exist for a two front war were it to happen. needless to say and as can be seen from here "there are divisions on the home front."
wow.
"terrorists" aren't bred, their minds are shaped by events around them - like invading and occupying countries for the sole reason of controlling the "resources" the humans happen to live on top of - never mind that "terrorist" is a subjective label that requires a belief system to support - YOU are THEIR terrorist, eh? "total immersion schools" - how is that not fancy for "brainwashing"?
as to the rest of your advertorial for perpetual war through perpetual fiat printing, highly doubtful you will participate in any other capacity than cheerleader.
it's all about corporate profiteering at the expense of actual human lives, but as long as you can spread your fantasy, you're happy, yeah.
agree 100%
A madrassah led by a wahhabi mullah has a pretty good chance of turning any young boy into a terrorist, this is the secret behind the neverending stream of 'fighters' arriving from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia breeding terrorism through exporting wahhabism is the cancer by which islam spreads. Any action which does not incorporate removing this from the face of the earth will never be successful by any long lasting measure.
Good luck stuffing an Ideological Djinni back into its bottle!
+ 1000
"terrorists can breed replacements faster than we can kill them. The US will have to maintain a military presence...."
But of course they're bred. Ubermensch. Cannot deal with them, not human, animals, must subjugate militarily. Kill.
War is Peace.
Just reflect upon that philosophy, which by the way is appropriate for the military. Their job is to break things and kill people, distribute pain, suffering, disease, famine and death. And to do so when all else has failed. When statesman ship has failed.
It is the job of the military's masters whether to Loose the Dogs of War or Logically Pursue Alternative means of Conflict Resolution.
T'is not the military perspective that worries me, but rather the politician's and "statesman's" (LOL, are there any of those anymore?) acquiescence to the former's field of expertise. And such a concern is not in the least a conflict with the possession of strong military might, for it is the citizen commanders who make the decisions to utilize such. It is the commander's sins against mankind that are of priority.
++ Indeed... but.. your efforts are futile for:
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free" Goethe
Read the Koran. It is not a hard read, much easier and less likely to put you asleep than the Bible. Read it; it is an eye opener.
The Bible is a 2000 year old Harry Potter novel (Jesus as Harry) as a European translation of the Jewish Harry Potter (Torah), the Koran is a 1400 year old Arab translation of the mentioned (European) Harry Potter novel
Koran is a 1400 year old Arab translation of the mentioned (European) Harry Potter novel
The koran is another attempt by predatory pedophiles to justify their twisted and vile sexual desire. Muhammmmed seeking 11 year old girls because g-d told him that he could have them as long as he made the rest of humanity seek death because the new rules do not allow normal sexual relations.
Allah is a pimp.
A friend summarized this elsewhere so succinctly, I quote verbatim:
edit: this was just provided as philosophical/religious underpinning. Not meant as an endorsement/excuse for any country's corporate imperialist policy.
Harvey - This is not the problem.
So here in the 21st century we have a 7th century warlord as the *ideal* example for the 2nd largest religion.
The problem is the Zionists have laid claim on land belonging to someone else and then engaged in ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population.
The entity we are proping up, because it is the favorite cause of some of the biggest names on Wall Street will fail. in the mean time, we should not be over there kicking the hornet's nest. There was no such thing as a 'Muslim Terrorist' until the holders were disposessed.
I disagree. I think there is something very wrong with that ideal. And I suspect you would as well if you were female.
However, your other points are well taken.
This piece is blather and fear mongering. It merges historical facts without context or purpose. It is like me saying that America is a violent country murdering innocents from the sky (a true fact), and therefore the Constitution is flawed and capitalism as a economic system has failed (there are so many embedded assumptions in this sentence that you can't unravel its just blather in the end).
Reading the Koran cover to cover still would not give you the understanding or context. The knowledge is there an accessible - many muslims could answer you in a clear and detailed way - and the knowledge is written down and specific. But to make a point and give an obvious example, many verses in the Koran are abrogated...why? because revelation was live in a historical context transforming a society. For example, first alcohol was allowed but considered but stipulations were there..
[Nisa 4:43] "Do not approach prayer while you are drunk…"
Eventually it was banned outright (and anyone who is a physician will understand why...for example, NO amount is safe for a fetus, and women don't necessarily know they are pregnant for some days/weeks (even in the day of pregnancy test).
[Maidah 5:90-91] "O you who believe! Alcohol, gambling, [sacrificing for] idols...are only an abomination....
So the verses contradict each other one says drink but don't pray, the other says don't drink (if you look at them in a decontextualize way) What a confused book! Too bad it can't be changed <sarcasm>.
No matter a textbook on quantum physics or Islam, you don't have to believe in it, but random blather without true knowledge (which you aren't going to get sitting in a closet reading a book) is probably just not centered around understanding but more just fear mongering.
Blather? Perhaps.
Fear mongering? Hmmm. I don't think so. I'd characterize this as observation.
I suppose it all depends on one's perspective. Perhaps my western bias colors my world view (I would acknowledge this is undoubtedly the case). With that said, IMHO, you cry foul because you are offended, not because you have anything substantive to dispute.
I would also note I got a chuckle at your attempt to marginalize the lack of tolerance within Islam by floating the ridiculous notion that Muslims would just flock to and embrace the idea of "Koran reform". That's BS and something tells me you know better. Any reform minded Muslim, if they had any common sense, would be afraid to attempt to act on it out of fear for their life. The Imams have control & are very unlikely to decide it's acceptable to rewrite this sacred book-at least not from outside that sphere of influence. This would be akin to the US government voluntarily closing down half of its agencies simply because they don't have the money to payroll it and it's the right thing to do. Never gonna happen. Would it not be considered blasphemy simply to consider the idea that the Koran needed to be changed? Probably not a lot of Muslims gonna risk being stoned to death for the noble endeavor of "reform".
If you were offended, I apologize. And I'll concede that you do make some good points.
But when happened on the time line Peter's raid on one of the few unbelievers' settlements left in Israel?
Where is the progression to peace when the end story is all about the expectation of a world scaled last war, the war of wars?
Makes no sense.
No difference in this regard between the two religions.
You entirely miss the point. You see, you aren't really comparing Christianity & Islam.
Rather you are comparing your intellectually dishonest construct of the Islamic ideal against the agenda of a handful of corporate fascists currently in power, and calling that Christianity...
While our corporatists may indeed have imperialist designs, this is not at all representative of Christianity. It is, however, quite well representative of Islam... at least in terms of the relentless desire for expansion (Islam) / growth (corporate fascism).
Of course this is not relevant to Muslims. Since the goal is world domination at any cost, you will end up in battle with any & all who would oppose. And if Islam is not in the position to impose it's will on a territory, region, country, continent..., Islam will bide its time until in the position to do so. If you doubt this, just wait & see what is happening in Europe. Europe will be under sharia soon enough.
IMHO, Islam very much blurs the line between religion & a form of totalitarianism. There are many examples. Beside Turkey, are there any Islamic countries that are not de factor dictatorships? This fact makes me wonder if this is the dirty little secret why MSM has embraced PC with such bravado in regard to the Muslim world... What I am suggesting is that TPTB would have a much easier time at stripping away individual liberties in fully deploying an out & out fascist government in the USA if they were able to usurp control on the down low via sharia.
The motivations on both of the sides who are really at odds with one another align. Think about it.
Not offended, and thanks for a cogent reply. Definitely setting off on certain premises, that the book has to change (but the answers aren't in the book, they are in the knowledge and premises drawn from the transmitted knowledge) for example, is bounded in a whole lot of assumptions - first are there really even strong Islamic societies (most look like their are military states, run by dictators (usually kept in operation). If you're unhappy by the way people are behaving then will changing the book help if they don't even know it? And what is the "gold standard" of behavior they should be living by.
Take one example, in the last sermon the Prophet outlawed interest ("Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest); therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity."). The reasoning for that is well understood on a site like this (err charging for money disconnects risk profiles, and at any one point causes there to be more money needing to be paid back then actually exists). Debt/interest is the most powerful weapon introduced in history.
Now a Keynesian would say "oh those people gotta get with the times" and reform their Ko-raaan and their banking! So the problem is the book then, and the laws they want to live by don't fit with our way of doing things so they need reform?
I'm not trying to show you by analogy that starting on the wrong premise causes a lot of awkward questions.
Regarding "Koran reform", I used a hypothetical to counter your efforts to marginalize what is widely recognized as hardened intolerance within Islam.
Hmmm. Not sure what the best word to describe this. Flippant? Yes. A book is just a book. But the truth is that change in regard to the Koran is not a subject to be taken lightly. The knowledge and premises drawn from the Koran are as directed by the Imam. After all these are the words of the Prophet. Your argument & sarcasm is disingenuous at best. However, it's not unexpected when dealing with a ruthless collective who will stop at nothing to complete their prescribed task.
At prayer time, everyone must kneel & recite a prayer they learned as children. Many do not even understand the words they speak. They recite the prayer because they must. For if they do not, they will receive a harsh punishment. This is not an expression of enlightenment, but rather it is coersion... The imposition of will. And this is not done by military rule. Rather it is enforced by the Imam. This illuminates a stark contrast between Christianity and Islam. No one is forced to be Christian.
Further, the word of the Prophet states that it is the duty of the true Believer to further Islam at any & all costs. Therefore, I believe it's fair to say that several million Believers mean to impose the will of Islam on the rest of the world... just as it was imposed on them. The radical faction is the de facto voice of Islam, since moderate Muslims are afraid to stand up.
I will acknowledge that the intolerance I speak of mostly comes from within a small minority of the Muslim community. But if only 5% of the one billion Believers are radical, this equates to 50 million would be suicide bombers (lowball estimate).
I expect you will dispute this & claim it to be more blather & fear mongering. I hold fast that this is truth. We should revisit this subject in a few years after Europe has succombed to sharia law. If Europe isn't under sharia law in 20 years, and I'm still alive, I'll eat my hat.
I agree that it isn't fair to sit back & send over a list of changes that one culture must do to accomodate another. That's silly. I agree that US foreign AND domestic policy needs to change to get back copastetic with our Constitution. Hopefully our votes matter (Sadly I'm not sure this is the case) & we will send all incumbents home from DC. The American people are finally beginning to wake up & understand the extent of corruption in all facets of gubmint. I believe this presents a unique opportunity for citizens to reassert themselves as the true rulers of the USA and restore some manner of decency to our government (it can best be described as obscene at present). Having said that, Islamic nations hold the responsibility of policing themselves sufficiently to contain the radicals within their factions. At present, the "policing" I refer to more often than not could be described as "aiding & abetting criminal activity". I will not debate that this task would probably not necessary were US troops removed from that theater.
Regardless, I contend that since basic Islamic tenets facilitate the perpetual spread of Islam into other cultures. And unless Islam somehow figures out how to moderate, this will only lead to continued struggle or it will escalate to full scale war.
Modern Keynsianism is nothing but a facade of medieval mysticism with all the bull & bear bullshit, requiring no accountability of the witch doctors who 'practice' it... I most certainly do not subscribe to that philosophy, although we really aren't governed by Keynsians. The mobsters currently in power can only be said to follow Keynes during the bust. In truth, the US is governed by fascists. We're just now figuring out that it's been this way for decades. If I am to be labeled, I prefer the Austrian approach to economics, as it seems a much more scientific and honest approach to explaining things as opposed to making up irrelevant bullshit about how people becoming possessed by livestock...
Regarding Keynsianism... or rather usury... you seem to want to lump them together... When usury is illegal, why on earth would anyone invest? Seems this aspect of Islam ensure it's followers will live that *ideal* 7th century life, as it would remove any motivation for the formation of capital that might otherwise be used to improve the lives of the people. Bus alas. Usury...
The best way to improve the lives of Muslim people around the world lies somewhere between the absolute lawlessness of Wall St & the absolute void of opportunity in the middle east (if you are unfortunate enough to be a peasant, or a woman, or a migrant worker that is) Think about how millions of dirt poor Muslims could be lifted from poverty, further their education, build the local community, etc... But alas. Usury...
Ironically, the ruling class within Islamic countries tend to lead 21st century lifestyles. I find this to be quite the conundrum.
The Protestant Reformation did NOT re-write the New Testament. Check your premises.
Hey- Question for ya. Is that your picture and or a picture of your team on the website you run? if it is, this group has ripped off your picture and you should sue. If its a cut and paste web image you "bought" then both you and this group are super douchey.
http://www.public.avantgardewm.com/Home_Page.html
but he's such the intercontinental name dropping smooze snooot that it HAS to be him
https://theflynngroup.net/Home_Page.html