Episode 133: The Art of Fake-Ending Wars
Added 2021-04-14 15:31:30 +0000 UTC"Yemen war: Joe Biden ends support for operations in foreign policy reset," reports the BBC. "Trump: US will be out of Afghanistan by Christmas 2020," cheered Military Times. "Trump Orders Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Northern Syria," the New York Times told us.
For decades, the United States has very often appeared to have "ended" wars that do not, in fact, end at all. Open-ended jargon like "residual counter terror forces," "Vietnamization," "military advisors," along with deliberately ambiguous timetables, process criticisms––all are used to confuse the average media consumer. America's politicians know the American public broadly dislikes war and empire––and thus wants to see it restrained––but these same politicians don't really want to end wars so they have a frequent PR problem: How do you make it look like you’re ending a war or occupation without really doing so?
To solve this conundrum, American political leaders have perfected the art of fake-ending a war. Which is to say, announcing a war is going to end, typically around election time, only to––once the headlines make a big splash––backtrack, obfuscate, claim the "situation on the ground has changed" or the military involvement will only be in a "limited" or "defensive" capacity, shuffle troops around or find other thin pretexts to continue the war or occupation.
In this episode, we discuss the United States' history of fake-ending wars, who these pronouncements are meant to please, why troops levels are often impossible to know, and why so many of our so-called "wars" are not really wars at all, but military occupations that are never really meant to end.
Our guest is Shireen Al-Adeimi, assistant professor at Michigan State University.
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Guest
Shireen Al-Adeimi is an assistant professor at Michigan State University in the Department of Teacher Education. An educator, commentator and activist, Shireen is also a contributor to In These Times. You can follow her on Twitter @Shireen818.
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Show Notes
Biden Says He’s Ending the Yemen War—But It's Too Soon to Celebrate
Shireen Al-Adeimi and Sarah Lazare | February 4, 2021 | In These Times
At last, an end to the U.S. deployment in Afghanistan
Editorial Board | April 13, 2021 | The Los Angeles Times
Biden will withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021
Missy Ryan and Karen DeYoung | April 13, 2021 | The Washington Post
An “emotional” moment at an NSC meeting shows why withdrawing from Afghanistan is so hard
Alex Ward | March 21, 2021 | Vox
Famine has arrived in pockets of Yemen. Saudi ships blocking fuel aren't helping
By Nima Elbagir, Barbara Arvanitidis, Angela Dewan, Nada Bashir and Yousef Mawry | March 10, 2021 | CNN
Outgoing Syria Envoy Admits Hiding US Troop Numbers; Praises Trump’s Mideast Record
Kate Bo Williams | November 12, 2020 | Defense One
Nixon Tried to Spoil Johnson’s Vietnam Peace Talks in ’68, Notes Show
Peter Baker | January 2, 2017 | The New York Times
'The mission will not change': Obama to keep troops in Afghanistan
Alan Yuhas | October 15, 2015 | The Guardian
NATO Symbolically Lowers Flag in Afghanistan, But US War To March On
Sarah Lazare | December 8, 2014 | Common Dreams
In a Shift, Obama Extends U.S. Role in Afghan Combat
Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt | November 21, 2014 | The New York Times
Welcome to the Era of the Light Footprint
Leon Wieseltier | January 29, 2013 | The New Republic
Gideon Rose | January 22, 2007 | Slate
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Transcript
For a full transcript of this episode, go here.
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Comments
Hey y'all great episode, I have a thing for old campaign ads so that Nixon one did it for me. However I have to say kind of disappointed by assigning gender at birth to someone. I know you both consider yourself allies, but true allyship means not assigning gender at birth.
VapeQueen
2021-04-16 12:34:39 +0000 UTCCeding Syria? To the Syrian government? Who would do such a thing!
Talmudic Trankie
2021-04-15 21:42:48 +0000 UTCThank you for a great and enlightening episode up to your usual standards-- however, sometimes your content is kind of depressing. I pride myself on being well informed but frankly the shameless lying of the bipartisan powers that be, and that they are never called on it by the MSM (which in fact reinforces the lies, to belabor the obvious central point of your podcast) despite the 1,000s of deaths of civilians is truly a bummer. One thing I'd add to all the good points you made, about the "blood & treasure" bullshit that you bring up. In philosophy this is called "the gambler's fallacy": I've been losing all night (in the Deep State Afghan case, 20 years of losing!!) but luck balances out, so if I just stay in longer . . . .(insert magical fantasy ponies here) . . . Lastly you gotta love how "We've been losing after 20 years" is the basis to say "We need to stay in forever"!!
Mark Schneider
2021-04-15 03:32:30 +0000 UTCCitations Needed fishing for ad approval.
Well aged meme
2021-04-14 16:42:14 +0000 UTC
