Until the release of Robert Kaplan's follow up to Imperial Grunts titled; Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea and on the Ground. I'm looking forward to it and am wondering if Kaplan went back out on "tour" for this book or if it's reliant on the same travel amongst soldiers used for Imperial Grunts? I'll know in 12 days.
11 years ago
6 comments:
Related post coming up on CA in 5 hours.
I'm in two minds about whether to buy this one. As I think I mentioned on your earlier post on Kaplan, I had mixed feelings about Imperial Grunts. Kaplan has always been at his best when he comes at the future from different and unusual angles. There was some of that in Imperial Grunts, but as a New Zealander I reacted strongly against the triumphalist 'American empire' tone that came through. And I thought that his analysis of the root causes of 'American empire' was way off the mark.
Ummm, think I'll wait for your review of Kaplan's latest effort before deciding whether to read it.
younghusband,
I'd kill for Kaplan's accessibility!
A question, Younghusband: Kaplan got his start at a small Vermont newspaper. What was that newspaper?
Peter,
"And I thought that his analysis of the root causes of 'American empire' was way off the mark."
Could you fill this in a bit, I'm curious.
"think I'll wait for your review of Kaplan's latest effort before deciding whether to read it."
You flatter me sir! Thanks.
I felt that Kaplan advanced the simplistic notion that a 'quest for security' was the root of American empire. In this, he seemed to be buying into the Bush/Cheney conceit that invading Iraq was necessary to secure the US from al-Qaeda terrorism.
I would argue that a main driver is economic. Since WW2, and more particularly after the US oil production peak in the early 1970s, the US needs to secure global resources, most notably oil, to fuel its economy and 'economic growth'. It uses armed force as a principal instrument of policy to achieve this.
security is economy, for without the security on sea shipping that the US Navy provides, the whole world will go into recession and energy shortages.
The US consolidates most defense spending of other nations into economic investment by taking up the great majority of patrols, water lane defense, and deterent systems. This allows such nations as Germany, Japan, etc to focus on creating a stronger economy without worrying about little things like other people invading them.
Should the world economy fail, America will feel it as well. People talk about the invasion of America as if this is what asymmetrical warfare prioritizes as a goal. It's way too obvious for proper deception campaigns.
Kaplan's paper was the Rutland Herald: http://cominganarchy.com/2005/05/10/kaplans-alma-mata-gives-him-high-marks/
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