Thread by @WBardenwerper

THREAD: I am finding it increasingly maddening to watch former generals and policy-makers, whose fingerprints are all over twenty years of failure in AFG that led to this predictable outcome, pontificating on TV without an ounce of humility or contrition.

And having the gall to lecture us as if we are just now learning some hard lessons about what U.S. power can achieve. I remember a paper I wrote at
@SAISHopkins
IN 2009!!!! - as a lowly grad student (and former junior Army infantry officer) that laid out the parallels with

Vietnam – and how this was likely to end. I was not alone – this was readily apparent to plenty of young officers, NCOs, and fellow grad students even then. Therefore, unless any of these establishment luminaries sagely intoning on TV screens and Op Ed pages NOW were standing on

the rooftop shouting truth to power of what was clear to so many junior officers and NCOs TWELVE YEARS AGO - before countless more were killed and wounded, and billions spent - they should have the decency to shut up. Too little too late to play the part of enlightened statesman.

I won’t bore anyone with what I wrote, but will cite the hauntingly prophetic words of Robert McNamara that I cited then, and are even more tragic when read twelve years later: We failed then- as we have since- to recognize the limitations of modern, high-technology military

equipment, forces and doctrine in confronting unconventional, highly motivated people’s movements. Our misjudgments of friend and foe alike reflected our profound ignorance of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area…

We viewed the people and leaders of South Vietnam in terms of our experience. We saw in them a thirst for- and a determination to fight for- freedom and democracy. We underestimated the power of nationalism [me: or religion or ideology] to motivate a people

to fight and die for their beliefs and values. Don’t misjudge the nature of the conflict. Don’t overestimate what outside military forces can accomplish- they can’t reconstruct a ‘failed state.’ And don’t act unilaterally unless the security of our country is directly threatened

cc:
@MarkZinno
@mattduss
@PaulRieckhoff
@cjchivers
@AdrianBonenber1
@PhilKlay
@AlexHortonTX
@DanLamothe
@dandcaldwell
@DanDePetris
@johnrobb