War with IsIs: As the militant threat grows, so does the West's self-deception

[Jefferson23]

Patrick Cockburn

Sunday 7 June 2015


World View: Chinese mandarins used to claim rhubarb was a war-winning weapon. Our leaders also fantasise

In the declining years of the Chinese empire, high officials developed a handy way of dealing with military setbacks and defeats by foreign powers. They simply announced that the heroic forces of the emperor had won yet another victory against the barbarian enemy.

To do those officials credit, they saw that serial mendacity was only a short-term solution to their problems and the news about China’s calamitous defeats could not be permanently suppressed. But they believed that by the time this became apparent, one of their country’s hidden strengths would have kicked in which would give them a tremendous advantage in any drawn-out conflict.

China’s secret war winner – officials had been told by their expert advisers – was that China was the world’s leading producer of rhubarb. This was much used in traditional Chinese medicine and was deemed the only effective cure for constipation. These experts confidently advised the policy-makers of the day that all they needed to do was to cut off the West from its rhubarb supplies and its leaders would ultimately be forced to grovel for peace.

Of course, it is easy enough to deride the ludicrous wishful thinking of those long forgotten mandarins, explaining away defeat and vainly seeking to stem the barbarian advance. But their self-delusions have much in common with those of Western and Middle Eastern politicians, soldiers and diplomats seeking to halt the seemingly unstoppable progress of Islamic State (Isis) in Iraq and Syria in the 12 months since Isis captured Mosul on 10 June 2014.

in full: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/war-with-isis-as-the-militant-threat-grows-so-does-the-wests-selfdeception-10302380.html

[guillaumeb]

1. The Vietnam syndrome.

Also from the article:
"How did Western policy-makers react to these stunning defeats? Sadly, their response was very similar to those Chinese officials a couple of centuries back. They denied the extent of the military disasters and pretended that it is Isis which is on the retreat. The US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that the territory Isis controls is getting smaller and “more than 10,000” Isis fighters have been killed in US airstrikes.

Just as in the war with Vietnam, body counts and territory captured are paraded as "proof" that we are making progress in the war. And our media will dutifully accept this US government propaganda and disseminate it to the US audience.

[bemildred]

2. Cognitive disconnect, "this can't be happening", that's what it is.

We cling to our illusions.

I think he is even more pessimistic than I am, and that worries me, because I think he is better informed.

[Jefferson23]

3. I know what you mean, he is not known for the irresponsible one two punch to satisfy an

audience. After reading this, I thought..oh, shit.

[newfie11]

4. The news media just reads what to say

We no longer have real news except for maybe what surfaces on Free Speech
TV.