Steven Pressfield's Blog, page 152
June 23, 2009
Part Two: The Tribesman in All of Us
One of the acts that tribes frequently practice is ritual scarification. Tattoos, circumcision, mutilation of the flesh. The purpose is to draw a line between who's a member of the tribe and who isn't. This is Us ... this is Not Us.
Non-hereditary tribes--criminal organizations, elite military units, certain religious or ...
Non-hereditary tribes--criminal organizations, elite military units, certain religious or ...
June 20, 2009
The Tribesman In All Of Us
I was in Frankfurt a couple of summers ago and there was a young man at the hotel named Kaitet Olla Kishau. He was a Masai from Kenya. Kaitet is a big, tall, good-looking guy; he speaks English and German; he's married to a European lady; he's a writer and ...
June 18, 2009
Lawrence of Arabia on Tribes
[caption id="attachment_267" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Maj. Jim Gant, ODA 316, with Malik Noor, Mangwel, Konar Province":][/caption:]
I like very much Gen. McChrystal's idea for a new Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell (cited in Max Boot's article yesterday in the Wall Street Journal). This entity would be an ongoing "corps of roughly 400 officers ...
I like very much Gen. McChrystal's idea for a new Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell (cited in Max Boot's article yesterday in the Wall Street Journal). This entity would be an ongoing "corps of roughly 400 officers ...
June 16, 2009
Summing Up: Our First Week and What We’ve Been Talking About
[caption id="attachment_248" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Courtesy Prof. Andrew Lubin":][/caption:]
This blog has been up now for a little more than a week. Many thanks to all who have contributed comments--and to all who will do so in the coming weeks. Now seems as good a time as any to pause for breath ...
June 15, 2009
“How to Win”: Further Thoughts on Video #5
Today marks the release of the final video in the "It's the Tribes, Stupid" series. Believe me, I'm aware of the presumption of titling any discourse, "How to Win in Afghanistan. " Even Alexander the Great would balk at treading that ground. So, as I say in the video, the ...
June 12, 2009
Ronfeldt Redux
I blew it on Wednesday, posting this extremely interesting article by David Ronfeldt of the Rand Corporation so late in the day that it was only "onscreen" for a few hours before being shuffled downpage into the archives. So here's a re-post that I'll leave up in the featured position ...
June 11, 2009
From somebody REALLY smart
The following is an Op-ed piece by David Ronfeldt, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corporation. I'm a big fan of his work and will be citing more of it here in the future. Mr. Ronfeldt has given permission to reprint this article in its entirety. Thanks, David!
21st Century ...
21st Century ...
How We Got There: A Short Bibliography
Below is a terrific mini-bibliography from guest blogger Jeremy Ward that takes us back to the genesis of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
In 2001, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, an extremely lean contingent of American forces--mostly CIA, SF and other special operators and intelligence specialists, backed up by U.S. ...
In 2001, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, an extremely lean contingent of American forces--mostly CIA, SF and other special operators and intelligence specialists, backed up by U.S. ...
June 9, 2009
Sez Who? How This Thesis Came About
Yesterday we talked about the idea that the real enemy in AfPak today is not militant Islam or jihadism or terrorism. It's tribalism and the tribal mindset.
Now: how did this thesis evolve? What's the source? Upon what authority do I put this idea forward?
It comes from my ...
Now: how did this thesis evolve? What's the source? Upon what authority do I put this idea forward?
It comes from my ...
June 8, 2009
Why I’m Doing This
June 8th I’m posting the first two of five video op-ed pieces on the subject of Afghanistan, U.S. troop involvement, and the nature of the enemy. #3 will be posted on Wednesday, #4 on Friday. #5 will wrap it up next Monday.
Why am I doing this? Not for money. I’ve got no book coming out, no tour, nothing. I just want this information to get out there. We did these videos—I and a group of smart and dedicated young filmmakers—just as concerned citizens, the way one might write an op-ed piece and submit it to a newspaper.
What’s the thesis of the videos? That the enemy today in Afghanistan (and Pakistan and Iraq) is being mischaracterized as “militant Islamist,” “jihadist,” “terrorist,” etc. I don’t think that’s the defining characteristic. I think the single quality that most defines our foes is tribalism and the tribal mind-set.
What does that mean? It means that the qualities common to all tribes at all times and in all places—warrior pride, hostility to outsiders, fidelity to the group, the obligation of revenge, suppression of women, a code of honor rather than a system of laws, extreme conservatism, patience and capacity for hatred—are what characterize the enemy (as well as our potential friends) in Afghanistan and in Pashtunistan, the tribal areas along the Pakistan border.
Our young Marines and soldiers are in harm’s way now, and more will be deploying soon, in this strategically critical and very dangerous part of the globe. It’s imperative, in my view, that these men and women be armed with a full understanding of what they’re up against. I’ve spoken on this subject at West Point, Quantico, Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton and, though our young Marines and soldiers are getting some training in this area, my fear is that it’s not in-depth enough and that it’s not extending far enough down the food chain. Officers of course need a background in this subject, but our enlisted troopers on the ground—the much-talked-about “strategic corporals”–need it just as badly.
It is equally imperative, in my view, that our policymakers in Washington possess this historical and cultural grounding.
That’s why I’m posting these video op-ed pieces.
Tomorrow I’ll write about how this thesis evolved, what the sources are, and on what authority I “submit it for your approval.”
View Video Blog Here
Why am I doing this? Not for money. I’ve got no book coming out, no tour, nothing. I just want this information to get out there. We did these videos—I and a group of smart and dedicated young filmmakers—just as concerned citizens, the way one might write an op-ed piece and submit it to a newspaper.
What’s the thesis of the videos? That the enemy today in Afghanistan (and Pakistan and Iraq) is being mischaracterized as “militant Islamist,” “jihadist,” “terrorist,” etc. I don’t think that’s the defining characteristic. I think the single quality that most defines our foes is tribalism and the tribal mind-set.
What does that mean? It means that the qualities common to all tribes at all times and in all places—warrior pride, hostility to outsiders, fidelity to the group, the obligation of revenge, suppression of women, a code of honor rather than a system of laws, extreme conservatism, patience and capacity for hatred—are what characterize the enemy (as well as our potential friends) in Afghanistan and in Pashtunistan, the tribal areas along the Pakistan border.
Our young Marines and soldiers are in harm’s way now, and more will be deploying soon, in this strategically critical and very dangerous part of the globe. It’s imperative, in my view, that these men and women be armed with a full understanding of what they’re up against. I’ve spoken on this subject at West Point, Quantico, Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton and, though our young Marines and soldiers are getting some training in this area, my fear is that it’s not in-depth enough and that it’s not extending far enough down the food chain. Officers of course need a background in this subject, but our enlisted troopers on the ground—the much-talked-about “strategic corporals”–need it just as badly.
It is equally imperative, in my view, that our policymakers in Washington possess this historical and cultural grounding.
That’s why I’m posting these video op-ed pieces.
Tomorrow I’ll write about how this thesis evolved, what the sources are, and on what authority I “submit it for your approval.”
View Video Blog Here
