At an article at War on the Rocks on the lost art of exiting a war, Adam Wunische opens with a pair of sentences that warm the cockles of my elderly heart:
The best way to ensure a speedy exit from a war is to have never intervened in the first place. The second-best option is to have an exit strategy.
For the last thirty years we had presidents that didn’t do exits and now we have one that doesn’t do planning. Isn’t there another alternative?
You seem to believe that Presidents have some sort of control over foreign policy and the military. I should think that the public insurrection against Trump would disabuse you of that fantasy.
Our wars are started and controlled by the Deep State/Ruling Class for their own reasons. In the Middle East, they answer to the Israelis. Elsewhere they pursue other interests, like stripping countries of wealth and resources. Ukraine is a good example.
The American Empire is clearly in decline, in large part because of rampant theft by the Deep State/Ruling Class. The USS Ford, the F-35, and other military programs merely transfer huge amounts of wealth to their proponents and do nothing for our security.
The future belongs to the Russians and Chinese and their Eurasian project. Whether we go quietly or by slap down depends on how stupid our Deep State/Ruling Class is. The recent withdrawal in Syria is hopeful. That was clearly negotiated between Trump, Putin, Erdogan, and Assad. The delusional Kurds, a hard-line communist group, will now have to deal with reality, and Putin.
Russian commandos have occupied our former base near the Tabaqah Dam. This base has an air strip that will accommodate large aircraft. Its occupation represents a major power shift in the region in Russia’s direction.
Contrary to your comment the military, at least for now, remains under civilian control. WRT State, DoJ, and intelligence you may have a point.
“For the last thirty years we had presidents that didn’t do exits and now we have one that doesn’t do planning. Isn’t there another alternative?”
That’s a concise view of the problem.
“Isn’t there another alternative?”
Apparently not. Which dovetails with my often repeated point that prescribing policies giving yet greater power and assets to government, in the hope of suddenly found competence or that Lucy won’t pull the football yet again, is folly.
As for no planning. None of us was in the room; all we hear is the breezy whining of critics. An alternative explanation is that with the vested interests of State, Intelligence and politicians serving constituents in defense intensive states the best solution may be to “just do it.” Else you will be undermined; no plans will satisfy, and the process will bog down in analysis. I would note, the notion of great planners is not exactly bolstered by so many presidents choice to not exit. I wonder why they don’t?
Presidents have had plenary authority in foreign policy since the beginnings of the republic and Congress has had the responsibility for declaring war. None of that is new or an expansion of government power. Congress delegating its warmaking powers to the president is relatively new and something about which I have complained repeatedly. I think it both unwise and unconstitutional.
This is utter nonsense about a lack of a plan. President Trump did not wake up, throw a few darts at a map, and order the troops to occupy those positions.
Instead, President Trump did not inform the enemy of when the withdrawal would occur. He followed the experts advice and did not set a timetable or telegraph the pullout date.
What happened is that orders were issued for units to pull-back to specific locations. There were no units that just moved to wherever the unit commander thought best.
In the real world, the way it works is that you are on watch or under your camo netting and word comes down that you are moving out in 30 minutes. You breakdown the gear and equipment, stow it, police the area, and mount-up.
The officers and staff NCOs know the location of your next position, but they have not been consulted on the overall strategy. Half the time you have no idea of what you are doing or why, and the other half the plan is changing as you are moving.
“I think it both unwise and unconstitutional.”
So do I, however it gets worse: its now frequent. Its the way government eventually works in almost all matters. Except the Pentagon, or Chicago, or the State of CA, or the Veterans Admin, or the public schools or HUD, or bank regulation or…………………… Oh, never mind.
I think that the unstated comparison here how well Japan and Germany turned out , but we all know the difference. This was declared war, and the enemy was utterly defeated, therefore amenable to our terms and we could walk away the benevolent victor. We can’t compare that to the police actions undertaken since that time.
““For the last thirty years we had presidents that didn’t do exits and now we have one that doesn’t do planning. Isn’t there another alternative?â€
Yup. Would be nice if Congress grew a spine, but wishes and horses etc.
“In the real world, the way it works is that you are on watch or under your camo netting and word comes down that you are moving out in 30 minutes. You breakdown the gear and equipment, stow it, police the area, and mount-up.”
Was what I thought when I was enlisted. Once I became an officer I got a bit of look at the amount of planning everything took. That platoon that mounted up and moved had supplies either waiting for them or arriving as needed (most of the time). That stuff didnt happen by magic. There were lots of people planning ahead for hours, days, weeks and months depending upon the group and the actions.
“Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics.”
– Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC (Commandant of the Marine Corps) noted in 1980
Steve
@steve
Exactly. It takes planning. So, please provide me evidence that units were told to move to another position without being resupplied.
What kind of crazy people are these?
ttps://news.gallup.com/poll/267581/mentions-government-top-problem-near-record-high.aspx
“This (multicultural) approach has failed, utterly failed,†German Chancellor Angela Merkel.”
If only she had planned……..