2 July - Nightblogging Geopolitics

FM newswire for June 29, interesting articles about geopolitics

RECENT POSTS

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• FM newswire for June 30, interesting articles about geopolitics
• A look at the history of victories over insurgents. How often do foreign armies win?
• FM newswire for June 29, interesting articles about geopolitics
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• FM newswire for June 28, interesting articles about geopolitics
• A discovery that could change the course of US geopolitical strategy, if we would only see it
• “Climate Change: what do we know about the IPCC?”
• Why have mainstream economists lost the argument about the need for more economic stimulus?
• FM newswire for June 26, interesting articles about geopolitics
• All-time best FM posts from the DNI archives (2003-2007)
• Balancing ends and means in American security, a prerequisite for survival (let alone success)
• FM newswire for June 25, interesting articles about geopolitics
  Common Dreams

  Out of Afghanistan Caucus Calls for NO VOTE on War Funding

  The Caucus, chaired by Congressman John Conyers, is an informal group of 21 members dedicated to reorienting US policy towards diplomacy and the swift redeployment of the US military.
  The congresspeople addressed the hypocrisy of the fiscal conservatives in Congress who are concerned about the out-of-control deficit but support the war supplemental. 
  Congresswoman Chu said that Congress was first told by Secretary Gates that we needed 2,500 more soldiers in Afghanistan, then Admiral Mullen called for 20,000 more, then McChrystal said 30,000 more. “What is the correct number of troops we need in Afghanistan?”, she asked. “Zero. More troops just means more trouble.”
  Congressman Nadler said we had every right to target bases where people were plotting against to attack us, but not to make war against those countries. “We have no business intervening in an Afghan civil war,” he said. “It’s a fool’s errand. If the Afghan soldiers don’t have the will and motivation to fight the Taliban, we can’t instill that in them. And without the will and motivation, there’s no winning.”