Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing Last week President Bush humbly and movingly announced that to show his “solidarity” with our troops fighting in the Middle East he would refrain from playing golf. The magnanimity of the act, evocative as it is of our nation’s long tradition of noblesse oblige, speaks for itself. Read More …
Brian M Downing In recent weeks we’ve seen numerous supporters of the war point confidently to positive indicators and to benchmarks being met or neared. And we’ve also seen numerous critics of the war assert just as confidently that there’s been little if any progress. It all makes me think Read More …
Brian M Downing Every war draws upon myths of past conflicts. World War One drew upon the myths of the Civil War. Vietnam did the same with the myths of World War Two, at least until they lost their vitality. And during the present war in Iraq, our first war Read More …
Brian M Downing Our presence in Iraq is far different from what it was a year ago. There was no decisive battle, no act of Congress, no shift in public opinion. Though largely unremarked upon, the US has stumbled into a long-term presence in Iraq. Administration officials and like-minded media Read More …
Brian M Downing But we in it shall be remembered – We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. – William Shakespeare, Henry V We’re stuck over here God knows how long, just waiting and sweating it out, and finding out things about yourself that, by God, it don’t pay Read More …
Brian M Downing In recent months, US casualties and Iraqi deaths have dropped markedly. Americans and Iraqis welcome the news but are perplexed by it as well. This is especially so in the US Congress, where confusion and indecision have deepened, and opposition to the war is even more tepid Read More …
Brian M. Downing In recent months the administration has been touting successes in Iraq, and polling data show a modest increase in public support for the war. Various reports on the war will be released in the next week or so, the interpretations of which will be contested widely, bitterly, Read More …
Brian M Downing In recent months, the George W Bush administration has been touting successes in Iraq, and polling data show a modest increase in US public support for the war. Various reports on the war will be released in the next week or so, the interpretations of which will Read More …
Brian M Downing For several months now, there have been troubling reports of a number of Iraqi civilians murdered over the past year by American troops. The military has recently indicted several soldiers and marines. Not all the evidence is at hand and no one has been convicted. However, the Read More …
Brian M Downing The Iraq war is the first in American history to steadily worsen our national security. Our generals, through action and acquiescence, despite their sworn duty to protect the nation, have played no small role in endangering America. This is all the more paradoxical and alarming because Read More …