A Few Random Thoughts

First, I knew I was going to link this post when I first saw it in my RSS feed, and based on the updates since my first read I think it might be one of the most interesting discussions in politics today. Full disclosure: I have only watched the Glen Beck event and its aftermath 140 characters at a time from the folks I subscribe too via my Twitter feed, and would be dishonest if I said the event was something I cared about... but that Chicago Boyz post has merit beyond ones political opinion on the event itself.

Second, I read both of these articles (one and two) today about the end of 'combat operations' in Iraq, and all I can say is that the Center for American Progress should feel embarrassed - because you deserved the mocking and criticism you got from strategic thinkers all day. This is my tip for progressive think tanks: you are in dire need of better intellectual substance in your national security analysis and in particular: the progressive community needs more insight and creativity among your strategic thinkers. Find a narrative that inspires towards the future or the future of the progressive movement will forever live in the past. Conservatives may claim that progressives live in a pre-9/11 world, but my impression is progressives more accurately live in a pre-1/09 world.

Third, with the end of operations in Iraq I have followed some interesting discussions regarding the impact of the war on the American people. It has been suggested a generation has felt the impact of war in Iraq. I call bullshit. There has been little or no impact on the vast majority of Americans as a result of Afghanistan or Iraq - because the country was never put into a war footing and only a tiny percentage of Americans actually served in those war zones. The impact of war on a generation of Americans is negligible, if even measurable. "Generation Kill" is a slogan, not an applicable stereotype, and any argument that suggests otherwise is political nonsense.

Want to understand what the major influences are to the generation of the last decade, I would argue this news is more relevant:

After dominating the home video rental business for more than a decade and struggling to survive in recent years against upstarts Netflix and Redbox, Blockbuster Inc. is preparing to file for bankruptcy next month, according to people who have been briefed on the matter.

Executives from Blockbuster and its senior debt holders last week held meetings with the six major movie studios to discuss their intention to enter a “pre-planned” bankruptcy in mid-September, said several people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing talks.

My 15 year old watches movies downloaded from Netflix via her Wii, and in a nutshell her access via the technology revolution of the last 10 years is why Blockbuster is going bankrupt. In a single day this summer she used a laptop plugged into the TV to create her own movie scene augmented by music recorded on her phone and select imagery taken by a digital camera to create a spoof video for fun; uploaded the video to Facebook to share with friends, and generated 70 comments by her classmates while school was out in July - all while I was at work - where I ultimately heard about the movie from her via a txt message.

The nation has been at war for over 60% of her life, and the impact of the war on her life doesn't exist despite the fact that the explosion of technology, access to information, and variety in new communication capabilities represents the most influential cultural impact on her generation. Did 9/11 impact a generation? Absolutely, but the military actions that followed have not.

When I was 15 years old the US fought a 100 hour war in Iraq, and only a few years prior the US had essentially won the cold war. Those two events - both of which happened individually in relatively short bursts - had more impact on my generation (GenX) than the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have had on this generation over the last decade.

I muse on this topic because I reject the premise behind the suggestion that the nation is engaged in a long war, no matter what very intelligent people say or believe, and regardless of the activities of the military. Reality is not the perception - and the perception almost always wins.

The government may be engaged, but the people are not. So for me, the impact of the Iraq war on the current generation can be summed up as such: The United States intentionally decided to demonstrate to a generation of Americans that protracted war can be conducted without influencing the lives of the majority of citizens at home. I think that represents a very dangerous idea.

Finally, a few questions for the comments.

Did you read the GAO report on the LCS or simply read the news articles?

The last sentence on the first page says "The Navy plans to complete a more comprehensive cost estimate before award of additional ship contracts in 2010." In your opinion, is this the reason why the LCS draw-down decision was delayed?

Does anyone know why FSF-1 has apparently not been used to test mission modules?

I have read the report and have plenty of thoughts, but want to give everyone a chance to read the full GAO report before I discuss it on the blog.