20. You don't match up Sherlock Holmes against a pickpocket: he needs a commensurate foe, a Professor Moriarty.
-
-
Replying to @HeerJeet
21. Military-Industrial Complex experienced 9/11 as a humiliation. They needed to flex muscle, to prove they can still push people around.
5 replies 8 retweets 14 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
22. To have the world's largest military fight off a rag-tag conspiratorial group like Al-Qaeda wouldn't solve humiliation problem.
8 replies 6 retweets 4 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
23: So: Iraq was already an idee fixe and all the more convenient because it would be a showcase for USA military might, not shadow war.
2 replies 2 retweets 8 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
24. Further, defeating Saddam would (they thought) cow larger Arab world. In immortal words of Tom Friedman, message was "suck on this"
2 replies 0 retweets 6 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
25. Friedman's entire "suck on this" speech worth a listen for view into Iraq war supporter mentality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwFaSpca_3Q …
24 replies 37 retweets 56 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
26. RT
@kerfluffer Rumsfeld on Afghanistan "there are no targets there".1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
27. Related factor was even after 9/11 USA gov't wasn't willing to openly challenge the real patrons of Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia & Pakistan
4 replies 13 retweets 12 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
29. Last point is worth pondering: Pentagon's whole approach to war is state-based, not adapted to fighting non-state actors.
3 replies 4 retweets 10 likes
30. There are rich people who can only "see" other rich people. The non-rich are invisible to them. States can be like that.
-
-
Replying to @HeerJeet
31. "Seeing like a state" means in part state only recognizes rival states as legitimate foes. Non-state actors are pesky pests, not "real"
2 replies 6 retweets 12 likes
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.