It Is A Tired Routine....

 It is also ultimately contrived and, inevitably, false. Here is the deal: 

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville pushed back Tuesday on the assertion — most recently voiced by President Trump — that the military’s senior leaders are eager to fight wars because doing so benefits defense contractors. “Many of these leaders have sons and daughters that serve in the military,” McConville said, in reference to the military’s flag officers and senior enlisted advisers. “Many of these leaders have sons and daughters that have gone to combat and may be in combat right now. I can assure the American people that the senior leaders would only recommend sending our troops to combat when it’s required for national security and in a last resort.”

This routine is tired, and if McConville thinks that score-cards aren't being filled, he better refer to his  West Point's history class to refresh when was the last time the United States really "gone to combat" to defend Chicago from being overtaken by hordes of barbarians, or what was that deal with famous Battle of Phoenix, Arizona where hundreds of thousands of "sons and daughters" of this land died defending this large urban center in a desert from bombardments and attacks by enemy aviation and tank armies. Hm. I am on record: NO American soldier fought in defense of the United States in modern history--zero, all American military deaths happened in the lands which, when mentioned as a clear and present danger to the American "security", would incite (and they did) a Homeric laughter in any company where one didn't spend last 50 years sleeping under the stone and has at least a half-year of basic military training. 

Yet, they continue to appeal to this simulacrum of America's "national security", most of which is built around a whole host, not just one, of false premises, delusions and sheer economic interest and greed. I am sure the officer of McConville's rank and billet heard about geoeconomics. I, somewhat, empathize with him--after all, he is just a grunt, very high-positioned, but grunt nonetheless and he has to follow orders. In fact, he may be even a very decent man, who knows. But he also has to rationalize, somehow, America's rampage which saw millions upon millions of civilians killed, maimed, displaced, countries devastated and all in a time span of some shitty half-a-century--an instant in historic terms. All in the name of America's "national security", or democracy, or human rights or whatever is the fad. At least 50 years ago one could BS others about Soviet "menace", today it is China, Iran, Venezuela, Russia and the list goes on, and on, and on. And yes, one can lie to oneself and remain in denial for only so long, until cold hard facts of history, geopolitics and warfare begin to catch with one. I do not envy those who will face them and will have enough courage to judge things on the merit--that will be hard, very hard. But for now, the circus must go on and all hollow meaningless invocations delivered with proper conviction and pathos. And yes, there is a shitload of "military leaders" who want to fight wars, preferably not with peer, since it may interfere with their plans on having hefty sinecures on boards of all kinds military-industrial corporations and think-tanks which prompt those. 

My new book is literally writing itself. I also was browsing few days ago Youtube and stumbled on this conversation by Stephen Walt, a notable "defensive realist" in US foreign policy academe.

What is remarkable about this video, though, is the fact of how, while Walt narrates, correctly, the events, he avoids almost completely a serious review of the causes of what he himself defines as failures by "US Foreign Policy Elite". Yes, "elite"; somebody somewhere (and we know many of their names and ranks) were moved by way more than mere "national interests" of the United States--do they even know what those are--and those motives and impetuses had a lot to do with greed, corruption, malfeasance and sheer ambition of mediocrities across the board--from political leadership, to intelligence, to military--who long ago betrayed not only their own country, but even the sense of self-preservation. No amount of emotional appeals can hide this truth. Especially when Trump plans to withdraw more troops from Iraq but, BUT...  

Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said he believes the Iraqis welcome the U.S. and coalition troops, especially in the ongoing fight to keep IS fighters from taking hold of the country again.

Goodness, gracious...