This is a book edited by Robert Oakley. It is a collection of thesis' from around the world that recognize that today's actions are not army on army any more but rather urban warfare and war over the hearts of civilians and stabilizing governments. I highly recommend it. For those that don't know him. He was a career diplomat that came out of retirement to spearhead the marines into Mogadishu. His job was to go into villages and towns ahead of the marines to explain their presence as security for the aid agencies. After his OK the marines would advance then the aid agencies. How's that for cahone's? He was rather pissed when the marine's roll shifted to capture a warlord. At any rate, it's about how to prevent conflicts in the first place and what to do once you are there if drawn in. Pity president's aren't required to read this. I can think of three that would have benefited from it.
Winning the hearts of civilians in 3rd world countries is nearly impossible. Most of them are just too accustomed to their way of life that they don't want Americans intervening. Not to mention the brainwashing and lack of education.
I'm not sure any foreign military would have much chance of winning the hearts of civilians in any country. I can't imagine Australians liking it much. I suspect we'd feel invaded and, well, occupied. Hitler didn't make many friends in Europe. Nobody took to Napoleon. The Romans weren't revered. Strange how people value self-determination, isn’t it?
Yea it would feel much like an occupation. Hard to gain trust from the regulars when you've got your foot in their door
Did your son have to go to Iraq? It's even worse there. You can't trust any of the civilians. At least in Afghanistan there was a network of helpful civilians loyal to freedom from the Taliban. Iraq is the wild west! Or at least it was.
No. He wanted to, but Australia had stopped sending our guys by then.I imagine Iraq is still the Wild West. If I was an Iraqi, I'd hate us too. First allies, then enemies, then occupiers who promised so much, but delivered so little. I used to remind my son of Afghanistan's history and suggest he put himself in their shoes and think about how the Australian people would behave under the same conditions. He seemed to quite like the Afghans to begin with, but his outlook soured. Saw too much. And too much hostility directed at him from locals who'd just had enough of other country's soldiers in theirs. Are you familiar with Afghanistan's history? It's tragic. Daoud Khan achieved so much and would have achieved more, but the mongrel breed of communism the USSR was peddling and the dogmatic version of it Afghan communists were pushing caused religious extremism to rise, got Daoud Khan killed and proper fukt Afghanistan for evermore.
Daoud tried to pull Afghanistan back and away from the USSR and try for independence in policy - especially foreign policy. And that was that. Decades later, here we are, every man and his rabid bloody dog trying to hijack the place for his own ends.
As you can see, we had our chance and (*)(*)(*)(*)ed it up. No game plan at all for after the fall of Saddam. THAT is why leaders should read the book on how to do it.
The Peace Corps is highly respected around the world. It's not Americans they dislike, it's American governments. Robert Oakley was a huge supporter of the Peace Corps during his time as Ambassador to Zaire because of concrete results and popularity with the population. Dictators don't like it but the populations love it. " In 1965, during the Dominican Republic s civil war, a volunteer came upon a group of people writing on the walls of buildings in the capital Santo Domingo, Yankees Go Home. Upon seeing this, he said to them, Well, I guess that means me. I ll get packed. The Dominican called him back, Oh, no! I meant the Yankees, not the Peace Corps."
There absolutely was a plan and a full fledged government was formed for them. The problem was the divide within that system. You must have been too young to remember that.
Actually, I was too old to enlist had the thought occurred to me to do such a foolish thing. I thought Saddam may have been a threat to us until Powell's dog and pony show at the UN, then I was very anti going in. He proved to me that there was nothing to support such action. And there was the biggest fail, rather than they form a government that forced more inclusion and give and take and autonomy in the provinces we gave them one based on what we thought best. The second biggest fail was using the military to police the country rather than police to work with police to police the country. The military is not trained to be policemen. Some showed amazing aptitude and made great strides no doubt but most saw the Iraqis as the enemy, that was simply how they were trained. Read the book, you can download the pdf for free.
Communism were Hitlers enemy for 80 back and rivals Nazism vs Communism or I have wrong ? I likes Nazi musicians in hard rock life. Am I hard rock Nazi ? But I am not against black and muslims. I hate nobody people. Nazi supreme musics. I likes military more than Boxing + Judo. Only outlandish are against Nazi my town. Yes. I did liked hard rock Nazi musicians. What to reply outlandish ?
I did liked America too. The biggest white supreme. Millions of white people. - - - Updated - - - Women are more bad than Swedish women ? - - - Updated - - - 20 % of white women vote Trump.
Lol the biggest "fail" is not the US's problem. We let them build THEIR OWN government instead of a genocidal dictator. Too bad for them, they let Islam get in their way.
Yes, Americans brainwashing and lack of education does make it difficult for them to win anyones hearts and minds.
Ah yes, England. The nation that got destroyed by America, and then begged for our help so you wouldn't be speaking German. Yea you guys are SUPER! lol
And yet you can't even win hearts and minds here, which with attitudes like yours shouldn't be any surprise. Seriously, try to take a step back and understand why so many people don't like you (as a nation and personally).
The last thing any American wants is to be liked by England. You guys will just try and surrender to the next big nation and then we'll have to come bail you out again. The brits are the annoying little brother of America. America always bailing them out of trouble.