Comments on: IDEA: Diplomatic Special Forces http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:53:41 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lomj http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/comment-page-1/#comment-58710 Lomj Sun, 06 Aug 2006 18:56:21 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/#comment-58710 Good job. Good job.

]]> By: A Duoist http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/comment-page-1/#comment-1314 A Duoist Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:41:07 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/#comment-1314 Striped pants wearing a holstered weapon? Hmm. The House of Saud has, so far, constructed 30,000 madrassas in the world (on a national budget that requires oil prices at $17 a barrel--today, it's over $60 a barrel), and each madrassa teaches sacred doctrines to several hundred students into their teenage, bomb-throwing years. Into this milieu are we to throw our solo idealists, who venture forth like Arthur's knights to do individual battle with evil? Mr. Brokaw is starry-eyed myth-building, not pragmatic nation-building. Striped pants wearing a holstered weapon? Hmm.

The House of Saud has, so far, constructed 30,000 madrassas in the world (on a national budget that requires oil prices at $17 a barrel–today, it’s over $60 a barrel), and each madrassa teaches sacred doctrines to several hundred students into their teenage, bomb-throwing years. Into this milieu are we to throw our solo idealists, who venture forth like Arthur’s knights to do individual battle with evil?

Mr. Brokaw is starry-eyed myth-building, not pragmatic nation-building.

]]> By: David Foster http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/comment-page-1/#comment-1313 David Foster Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:30:20 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/#comment-1313 I see a fairly major disconnect between this idea and the existing culture within the State Department.... I see a fairly major disconnect between this idea and the existing culture within the State Department….

]]> By: phil http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/comment-page-1/#comment-1309 phil Mon, 15 Aug 2005 21:58:37 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/08/15/idea-diplomatic-special-forces/#comment-1309 This is an interesting idea. Upon reading about a "Diplomatic Special Forces" I immediately thought of Army and Marine Civil Affairs units. They are "Peace Corps plus." Maybe we should tranfer these units to the State Dept. and increase their size. These units will still need security if they are in areas where safety is an issue. That means they themselves will have to be armed or accompanied by people who are. This is an interesting idea. Upon reading about a “Diplomatic Special Forces” I immediately thought of Army and Marine Civil Affairs units. They are “Peace Corps plus.” Maybe we should tranfer these units to the State Dept. and increase their size.

These units will still need security if they are in areas where safety is an issue. That means they themselves will have to be armed or accompanied by people who are.

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