Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

by Thomas Rid on 17 May 2012 · 1 comment

Choose your side:

Betz, Mackinlay, Rid

Farrell, Riley

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Mike Few 17 May 2012 at 16:57: Gents,

I thoroughly enjoyed the Betz, Mackinlay, and Rid conversation. I found myself nodding “yes” throughout the discussion.

One comment that I think was missed. In the intro, as y’all were discussing the high-emotional debate between COIN and America’s wars post 9/11, I think you missed one subtle but important point.

For many of us (Nagl and Gentile included), there is skin in the game and a mix of heavy practice merging into rethinking theory. The stakes are high in that being right or wrong in introspection or execution determines the ultimate win/loss of the adventures.

Simply put, I’d just add not to discount the emotional toil of the current conflict on the practitioners and the sense of duty to get it right in the future.

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Be sensible, be polite.