The present-day U.S. military qualifies by any measure as highly professional, much more so than its Cold War predecessor. Yet the purpose of today’s professionals is not to preserve peace but to fight unending wars in distant places. Intoxicated by a post-Cold War belief in its own omnipotence, the United States allowed itself to be drawn into a long series of armed conflicts, almost all of them yielding unintended consequences and imposing greater than anticipated costs. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have destroyed many targets and killed many people. Only rarely, however, have they succeeded in accomplishing their assigned political purposes. . . . [F]rom our present vantage point, it becomes apparent that the “Revolution of ‘89” did not initiate a new era of history. At most, the events of that year fostered various unhelpful illusions that impeded our capacity to recognize and respond to the forces of change that actually matter.

Andrew Bacevich


Sunday, March 6, 2016

Update for Sunday, March 6, 2016

The reported death toll keeps rising, but as of 10:30 ET al Jazeera is reporting 60 dead and 70 wounded in a suicide truck bombing near Hilla. IS has taken responsibility. The location was a checkpoint where a long line of cars was waiting, which accounts for the large casualty toll.

We keep hearing different stories about when the assault on Mosul will begin, but AP today reports it is still months away. A major concern, obviously, is that security at the dam be good enough that the Italian contractors can quickly undertake repair work.

In Afghanistan, Afghan and Pakistani forces trade fire across the border in Nangarhar. This probably won't amount to anything but it's a reminder of how hostile the two countries are.





Posted by Cervantes at 7:59 AM

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