Technology Does Not Trump Strategy

The internet is a fascinating nexus. One interesting contact made via the blog is with a man who is trying to uncover the facts surrounding his soldier son's death in Iraq. He is educated and appears of a conservative political bent, and has written the writers of this site many informed and lengthy letters on his investigation.

In a recent reply to one of Ranger's comments on the futility of the Army's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAP's), the man spent a page arguing for the trucks, and that they mitigate casualties. We were going to pass it over as the usual bit of hooah, until the last page.

The man conceded to allow Ranger to print his words, without attribution:

"But an MRAP is not a strategy. One might ask, what is the strategy and could money have been better spent paying bribes (clearly working in Anbar) or building power plants or water systems or schools or clinics? Fact is could building any of these be better for the world whether they occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq or the good old US of A? Probably.

It should be noted that hydroelectric dams built by the USA in the 1950s still provide power in Afghanistan. Would low head hydro plants sprinkled into isolated villages which give them electricity for irrigation and tv’s expose them to a planet of other people and ideas serve a useful purpose? How about using TV to teach people to read Sesame Street style? Think that’s dumb – well with an illiteracy rate through the roof in Afghanistan and Taliban throwing acid in kids faces – maybe not. I’ll bet there are a fair number of adults who would like to learn to read if they could do it in the privacy of their own home.

A COIN operation is not one of blowing up a man’s house, killing his family and then offering to build him a new one.

MRAPs cost $1.5 million. Could a special forces unit with Afghan troops put $1.5 million to use in a village? I’ll bet so. Could $1.5 million spent on bridges in the US serve a useful purpose – you betcha. How about an energy strategy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil? Yup we’ve heard that one before, but still it is a strategy that makes more sense than driving aimlessly around the desert looking for Charlie err Hajji, err Omar. Whatever, you get the idea.

It is worth noting that the common thread between Vietnam and our current unpleasantness is us – the USA. It isn’t that Vietnamese are like Afghans. It’s more like our own corrosive presence, our technique or lack thereof, are common threads between these conflicts.

Equipment is not a strategy.

Tactics are not a strategy.

We have no strategy.

That in a nutshell is the problem.

. . .