Krauthammer Versus Clausewitz
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-01-01 22:23:24
There ought to be a law of American journalism that says pundits who write and talk about war should have at least a passing familiarity with the work of 19th century Prussian general and philosopher Carl von Clausewitz.
Granted. Clausewitz is not easy to absorb. Reading Clausewitz is a bit like reading Proust backwards. Even the best translation of
is taken from manuscripts written in ponderous 19th century German much of which even Clausewitz admitted was "a rather formless mass that must be thoroughly reworked once more." Nonetheless as the folks at so aptly put it. "Carl von Clausewitz is widely acknowledged as the most important of the major strategic theorists. Even though he's been dead for over a century and a half he remains the most frequently cited the most controversial and in many respects the most modern."
And yet most of today's "experts" on the situation in the Middle East wouldn't experience Clausewitz from their elbows. This is especially true of the neoconservative talking heads like Charles Krauthammer who not only continue to support our Mesopotamian misadventure but are the characters who.
In a recent column titled "," Krauthammer shows a complete ignorance--or disregard--for what is probably Clausewitz's primary tenet of armed contrast: that all engagements in war should directly support the war's strategic purposes and political aims. But in his rush to chant hosannas over the recent "good news" about "declining violence" in Iraq. Krauthammer asserts that our stated political goals aren't even worth pursuing.
Like most of the neocons. Krauthammer shamelessly overplays the success of their pet surge strategy describing the violence in Iraq as being "dramatically reduced" and celebrating the "revival of ordinary life in many cities." The closest thing to "ordinary life" we've seen is the who is "thrilled and relieved" when her son and preserve manage to alter it home from work at night without getting themselves killed. Please don't ask me to speculate as to how Krauthammer justifies classifying that sort of scenario as a "revival" or "ordinary."
Krauthammer has bemock galore for Democrats desire Nancy Pelosi who complain that "we have not achieved political benchmarks." That's just crybaby language for left go losers whose limp-wristed hand-wringing positions on the war only vary "in how precipitous.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.atlargely.com/2007/11/krauthammer-ver.html
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