08 December 2009

Speaking of a great discussion in SWJ...

One poster in the thread on "Counter-bureaucracy" posted quite a gem--an unintentionally amusing excerpt from a question-and-answer session with General Stanley McChrystal on Capitol Hill. See if you found this as hilarious as Schmedlap and I did:

[Question from member of Congress] Indeed, you have written also that ISAF forces have been "preoccupied with force protection," and must change this "manner that distances itself, both physically and psychologically, from the people they seek to protect" as a means of winning support from the Afghan people.
Where do we look in history for any victorious precedent for this strategy?


I nearly doubled over laughing at that question. Did "COINhata" Col. Gian Gentile sneak into Congress? Seriously, how do you respond to questions like that with a straight face?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

"I am tempted indeed to declare dogmatically that whatever doctrine the armed forces are working on now, they have got it wrong. I am also tempted to declare that it does not matter that they have got it wrong. What does matter is their capacity to get it right quickly when the moment arrives."

--Sir Michael Howard, "Military Science in an Age of Peace," Royal United Services Institute Journal, March 1974. During World War II Sir Michael served in the Coldstream Guards, was wounded twice, and earned the Military Cross.

J. said...

Ahhhh... not an exerpt from the hearing. Snark questions from the commenter at SWJ.

Come on, you should know better. Congresspeople don't ask insightful questions, they only ask leading questions to which they can bloviate further.

Starbuck said...

Wait...you mean to tell me that the Internet is wrong?

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.

In all seriousness, it looks like I got pwnt. I should probably verify stuff I see on a message board.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm relieved it was a spoof; I was appalled otherwise.