And Another Thing

Yes, I've gone 72 hours without a drink and my reward for clean living was to come down with strep throat.  [You don't screw with the delicate balance of a body like mine.]  As a result I was forced to forgo watching Anna Kournikova play tennis here tonight.  Ah, cruel fate!

But I remain in high dudgeon about all things McCain.  A few weeks ago much of the MSM got the vapors over Wesley Clark's contention that McCain's experience as a fighter pilot was not a major feather in his cap in terms of conducting U.S. foreign policy.  But here is an argument from the increasingly troublesome Afghanistan theater as to why dropping bombs on people for a living is not a foreign policy asset.

The use of airpower, particularly in a counterinsurgency campaign, can be dangerous and counterproductive.  Its nearly indiscriminate use in Vietnam never proved effective and probably bolstered the NLF/North Vietnamese cause. 

To its credit, the U.S. military seems sensitive to these issues now in a way that they were not during McCain's service in Vietnam.  But with troops on the ground stretched thin, the temptation to use airpower remains strong, with civilian casualties inevitably occurring.  Indeed, twice as much ordnance has been dropped in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year compared with the same time period last year.  This is a dangerous development and should be a cause for concern.

The idea of electing someone whose first instinct is to "bomb, bomb, bomb" those whom he opposes, while we face these kinds of issues strikes me as the the height of folly.  The notion that these instincts are deemed the cornerstone of superior foreign policy experience is simply baffling. 

Comments

[Delicious Pundit]

You don't screw with the delicate balance of a body like mine.

"My structure craves and needs alcohol" -- Dean Martin (on some Sinatra record, I think)

What do you think of R. Farley's suggestion that the Air Force should be merged, as Yahoo to Microsoft, with the Army?

[Sir Charles]

DP

Re: Merger of AF back into the Army, I am hardly an expert on the subject, but am skeptical about it. The USAF has an incredible record of accomplishment -- my criticisms are less directed at it institutionally than the fact that despite all historial evidence many strategist at high levels view bombing as some sort of panacea. McCain is of course a naval aviator, so we can't blame him on the Air Force.

I suspect the attempt to merge the two separate cultures would be difficult and damaging at this point.

The bottom line is that it is the job of polticians (as Barack Obama understands) to use military assets appropriately.

[Lisa Simeone]

Holy shit, how did you get strep throat in the summertime?? And why are you off alcohol altogether? Why not just drink more moderately? (reply to my e-mail account if you so desire)

In any case, bisous, and wishes for speedy recovery! Then we can have another of our long lunches!

[Sir Charles]

Evidently some germs never sleep. Flying always seems to make me vulnerable to such things as well.

I was just giving the liver a little airing out after Austin -- but once the strep set in I felt like a few more days on the wagon couldn't hurt. Trust me, this is not some long term abstemiousness setting in.

[Lisa Simeone]

*Big sigh of relief*

[drip]

Given its ineptitude, extravagance and wrongheadedness, you probably don't need to worry about the merger of the air force back into the army. They are going to do it by themselves, especially if Gates has anything to say about it. The end to the air force as a separate service strikes me as sensible and I find Farley to be very persuasive, but I'm not an expert either.

[Sir Charles]

drip,

My fear is that it will not work. Institutions develop cultures and it is very difficult to make them mesh. I have seen this up close in attempts to merge and consolidate unions over the years and also with airline industry mergers, where we have been dragged into internecine battles between competing groups of employees. People develop very strong senses of identification with their branch of the service (try talking to a Marine about this), employer, local union, craft, etc.)

It sounds strange, but it is real as anything you will ever encounter.

[drip]

I don't find culture clashes strange at all, but the Air Force is only 60 years old and the other 3 branches all have their own air units. And please, never compare the Marine corps to the air force. It's like Terry Sawchuck and Nancy Kerrigan. They both wore skates, but they would both be upset at the comparison.

More seriously, given the inability of the air force (essentially a parts store like NAPA) to manage its budget, inventory its weapons or provide tactical support, I'm not sure what it does anyway. Further, times really have changed. The criminal nature of occupation bombing (plus the lack of effectiveness you noted above), the reliance on missiles and drones as delivery systems for nuclear and other weapons, and the need to expand the navy to patrol the North Pole (I'm only partly kidding), the Suez and Panama Canals (which are both surrounded by Chinese-owned property) make the air force look like an extravagance to me but it's one of my many deeply held, factually-challenged prejudices, so no worries.

[Sir Charles]

My father, an ex-Marine (if such a thing can be said to exist) would appreciate your analogy.

The rest of the blog is busy googling Terry Sawchuck -- even his name is manly sounding.

Actually, probably the most important thing to prevent this from happening is the enormous vested interests, both within and without the Air Force, to prevent this from happening.

[drip]

I'm sure you're right about Sawchuck. I should have put a link, but, they probably don't know who Kerrigan is either. Kids.

[Sir Charles]

drip,

Actually his wikipedia entry is fascinating. I did not realize that he died at age 40 from the after effects of an alcohol fueled fight/horseplay with a teammate. Also pretty amazing -- he played goalie for 12 years without wearing a mask and sustained 600 stitches to his face during that period. That can't be good for you.

[drip]

He was the greatest goalie who ever lived. I'm surprised he ever wore a mask but I'm going on memory. He started in the pros at a really early age and lead most of the great Canadian international teams to victories in his home ice in the White Barn in Winnipeg. His death was very weird and still basically unexplained. He was a guy who used alcohol to cure his depression, which couldn't have been helped by the pucks he stopped with his face. I learned of him from the men who would tell stories of the pros while we played pond hockey in New England. Pretty far OT, but the manliest man who ever lived, I guess.

[Corvus9]

Bah! A pox on this sobriety. Sir Charles, I have an important question! Do you know of any good stouts, besdies Guinness? I got four-packs of Beamish and Murphy's, but neither really measure up, although Murhpy's is much better than Beamnish. do you have any suggestions of good, interesting stouts?

[Sir Charles]

Corvus,

You'll be pleased to know that I had two medicinal mojitos tonight. Figured I'd preemptively ward off scurvy if nothing else.

I happen to have had an excellent stout recently - Yeti Imperial Stout. Very dark, creamy, almost chocolaty. It's not for "lite" beer drinkers.

Another one I liked, though not as well, and possibly more for the name, is "Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout."

Yeti would be my first choice -- but if it's too thick for your taste then by all means taste the "Goodbody."

[drip]

Sir Charles, I just saw this. Its more Farley on the Air Force. Again, my position is mostly based upon instinct and bias, but each of the points in the post (and the comments so far) make sense to me.

[drip]

Ach!, link no good. Try this.

[JL]

Yes, Red wing goalie.