Response to Stratfor
The latest from Stratfor on Afghanistan is a lengthy article laying out some pretty dire scenarios with this as ending paragraph:
"A little more than a year ago, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee, "In Afghanistan, we do what we can. In Iraq, we do what we must." That statement describes a clear gap in priorities for the United States in fighting these two wars. Now, with the spotlight on Afghanistan, the Obama administration will have to decide just how much it is willing to commit to a war in a country that has a historical record of outlasting foreign occupiers. Afghanistan may be a pressing issue for the United States, but it is also competing with a larger and arguably more strategic threat that will impact U.S. national security beyond the life of the U.S.-jihadist war - the Russian resurgence."
My response to George Friedman, CEO of Stratfor:
George, is it out of your realm of possibility that Russia is not the enemy you project? Of course, Russia will arm to the teeth as long as you and the US military project "enemy" on them. Certainly you play into Russia's worst fears and paranoia - while you create a self-fulfilling prophecy through your assumptions. Russia's current leaders, excluding a small minority of hard liners, want nothing more than to rebuild their economy, provide decently for their people and to be respected in the world.
Boo!
This piece reads like an inner establishment squabble "as other points of view" are censored.
IMHO, George Friedman is overrated.
It's no small wonder why the coverage leaves something to be desired.
Posted by: Righteous Advocate | March 10, 2009 at 02:07 PM