Keep your head down in American and World History (often though - they appear the same - World history always has a globe in it), pick your battles and judiciously judicate when to confide, confront or grin and bow to absurdity.
At a recent scholastic orgasm of how Great Satan dang near ruined everything by confronting illegit, truly ungodly regimes by sticking an M 16 in their face -- the idea was floated that the killing - accidental or by hideous design - of a certain religious element in the ME has prob sparked an unrelenting combat mentality against Great Satan that '...could last a thousand years..."Terms like 'colonialism,' 'imperialism' and 'democrazy imposition' were finally taken down a notch though.
"Umm -- if that is true -- the Iran Iraq war killed way more of those folks than America has -- yet Iran seems to be gaining ground in sunni turf and certain Arab regimes are reaching out to Persia."
Or
"LOLZ! Nasser's Egypt dropped mustard gas WMD on Yemanis in the love fest 1960's -- turning tons of innocent mohammedists into living shrieking blisters for the rest of their mercifully short, yet agony filled lives - so how could Pyramid last so long after such a casus belli for annihilating her?"
Take it from yours truly -- it is infuriating to be dissed and dismissed in flagrente' delicto by academic avatars from the "Cult of Irrelevance"
Thankfully - there are a few cool schools.
And Institue of World Politics may be the coolest.
Instead of focusing or pining away for the ancient faux school wicked ways of realism, realpolitik, containment, engagement, retreat, defeat and advocacy of cutting even more deals with known oathbreakers IWP actually gets it!
In the New Millennium -- changing regimes or actually changing the nature of regimes (same thing -- nicht war?) is the way to go:
"The Institute's specific goals are:
"To provide useful education to current and future professionals in the fields of statecraft and national security affairs;
"To provide education that meets official needs of U.S. foreign affairs, defense, intelligence and commercial agencies.
"To deepen understanding of all facets of statecraft, including defense strategy, diplomacy, intelligence, opinion formation, economic strategy, and leadership;
"To emphasize the study of the founding principles of the American political-economic system and their relevance to current statecraft;
"To increase awareness of political realities which may affect U.S. security and world peace.
Relevant elements of comparative political culture, Western moral precepts, practical political economics, and political and diplomatic history.
Oh Snap! Western moral precepts? Code for Straussian "Which one of these things is not like the other" daemoneoconic philosophy.
"Dedicated to developing leaders with a sound understanding of international realities and the ethical conduct of statecraft -- i.e., the use of the various instruments of power in service of national interests and purposes -- based on knowledge and appreciation of the American political economy and the Western moral tradition."
Cats like Dr Josh Muravchik on hand for the promotion (liberation NOT imposition) of fun, free choice daemocrazy in scary, backward places is delish and IWP is forward looking -- and may have grads that finally create a real Grand Strategy for Great Satan using every trick in the book from intell, covert ops, killer PR, the UN (R2P Clause) marginalizing regional nation state and non state actors, militias and creeps.Pic " Rebooting Future Foreign Policy"
Courtney: You will be forced to keep your mouth shut in some classes, with some instructors. Choose your battles is correct. But the ultimate goal is to pass the class with flying colors and graduate with that lovely degree.
ReplyDeleteYou are so smart, you could teach those professors a thing or two, but it wouldn't do you any good.
Deborah F. Hamilton
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com