Every time that the U.S. conducts airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria it issues a press release, which the media immediately reproduces, telling us that bombs were dropped, ISIS targets were destroyed, and all planes departed safely. With so much destruction under way, the reader is left with the impression that much progress is being made, … Continued
America’s taste for getting into no-win wars with undefinable goals is well-known, although rarely stated as honestly as it was yesterday by State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf. When asked whether the U.S. would “lose” if the U.S. doesn’t insert ground troops into Syria, Harf replied candidly: “I’m not exactly sure what ‘lose’ means.” To lose, you have … Continued
“Degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIL is the mission for Syria. But few people have considered what it would take to make good on those seemingly simple and direct words. The complexity of the mission is implied by the name of the target itself: are we at war with the “Islamic State”? Or is it the … Continued
America is once again at war in the Middle East, dropping bombs and inserting “advisers” on the ground in two countries. Americans seem supportive of the stated mission – destroying one division of the cross border insurgency known as ISIS – but they will increasingly grow tired of the actual mission: regime change in Syria. … Continued
Mark Dust, one of Michael Shermer’s Ph.D. students and an Army veteran, appeared on Stossel with Brig. General Loree Sutton (ret.) to discuss the psychological impact of our protracted wars and occupations since 9/11. Dust blogs about the psychology of PTSD and his own experiences at RamblingsOnTrauma.com. “As many as 1500 days exposed to hostile action.” … Continued
