Friday, 15 January 2010 17:30
To win in Iraq, should the Americans learn from the British and switch to 'underwhelming force' ?
Edit from BBC News:
Influential thinking on Iraq comes from US Col John Nagl's book ‘Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife’ (2002). The title paraphrases Lawrence of Arabia: "To make war upon rebellion is messy and slow, like eating soup with a knife."
The book compares the successful British campaign to stop communist insurgency in Malaya with the failure of Vietnam. Colonel Nagl argued: "The British army was a learning institution and the US army was not."
The difference said Nagl, was the British, unlike the Americans, employed "underwhelming force" as part of their strategy.
Col Nagl's ideas were amplified in Military Review (2005) by British Brig-Gen Nigel Aylwin-Foster, who served with the Americans in Iraq: "The US Army has developed over time a singular focus on conventional warfare, of a particularly swift and violent style, which left it ill-suited to the kind of operation it encountered [in Iraq]".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5049214.stm
Brig-Gen Aylwin-Foster hits the nail fully on the head. The Americans only understand total war and seems never to learn the lesson: Modern wars are not fought in this way.
In Malaya the British used small units of highly professional soldiers to kill only where necessary and to win hearts and minds wherever possible. These well-led fighting units knew their terrain and knew their enemy. They worked in amongst the people, in the towns and in the villages and deep in the jungle. More often than not, their successes were measured in the way they turned the local populace against the communists insurgents who'd spread like a cancer through the communities of the Malaysian pensinsula. This campaign was marked by brilliant soldiery - by the bullet and by persuasion. It was the skilful combination of the two that won the day.
Something in the American psyche (often revealed in the macho output of Hollywood) leads them to believe that overwhelming force wins wars and wins friends. It does neither. It has lost them every major military intervention since World War II. And before American respondents say American might won World War II, remember this - Germany's forces were mightier that those of the Allies, yet they lost.
America needs to look closely at itself. With every day that passes its swaggering, gung-ho approach becomes more of a pastiche of the goose-stepping Nazis pre-World War II. The Nazis are reviled and mocked in equal measure now - at once a joke and a horror. One day the America of the early 21st Century may be similarly seen by the civilised people of this small planet.
Benefits of Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing
Benefits of Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing
Homes in hot climates will often have high utility costs due to the need of cooling the home during extremely high temperatures. To combat this many homeowners turn to energy-efficient air-conditioning units and increased insulation, but they often overlook one home improvement that could significantly reduce their cooling costs. This green home improvement is a radiant barrier. This article will take a look at the benefits of radiant barrier roof sheathing when it comes to keeping your house comfortable while reducing your energy bills.
What is a Radiant Barrier?
Before we get too far it is important to understand what a radiant barrier is and how it works. A radiant barrier is composed of an aluminum sheet that is placed in the attic or just below the roof sheathing. Your roof and attic are the hottest parts of your home because the dark shingles on the house attract and absorb the heat from the sun. While this can be great if you are living in a cold climate, those in the Southern states where warmth and sunshine are the norm face higher heating costs due to this heat buildup. The thin layer of aluminum acts as a block to radiant heat transfer from the roof to the home. This keeps your attic cooler, which means your home requires less energy to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
Reduce Energy Costs
With less heat being emitted from the roofs hot shingles the high energy costs of running an air-conditioning unit on a hot summer day are greatly reduced. While there is never a way to completely eliminate the need for cooling, the reduced heat buildup in the attic means that your A/C unit will have to run less often and for shorter periods of time while continuing to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors. This means that you're electric bills will be much lower. In fact, it takes very little time for the radiant barrier to pay for itself.
Reduce Your Carbon Emissions
By using less energy to cool your home you are also limiting the amount of carbon emissions that would be released into the atmosphere. This lower carbon footprint means that your home is greener and your family has lessened its negative impact on the environment.
Improve Comfort of Unconditioned Spaces
An additional benefit to adding radiant barrier sheathing to your home is that the unconditioned spaces become more comfortable. These areas include the attic, garage, covered porch, etc. With less heat radiated into these spaces it is easier to make use of this square footage that would otherwise be unbearably hot. This opens up how you can use your home and allows for a more spacious and comfortable living environment.
If you want to improve your home's energy efficiency while saving money on your utility bills, then you should consider installing a radiant barrier to your home. The advanced radiant barrier roof sheathing that is available today allows you to easily install this green home improvement to any home or structure, so that you can enjoy the benefits of an improved living environment while saving money.
About the Author
Preston Guyton is a Realtor and Custom Home Builder serving the Garden City Beach Real Estate market. For more information on Garden City Beach homes and properties, contact Preston today and visit PrestonGuyton.com.
US $129.50
