Like Zenpundit, I was sent a copy of Luke S. Larson's novel Senator's Son , a new novel taking place in the Iraq War. Zenpundit's review has some of the basic background behind the writing of the book and Larson's page has plenty of info on his own interesting story, neither of which I'll rehash here. My review will focus on the strategic themes of the novel--which are stated with an explicitness that is rare for most stories of the type.
Senator's Son is not likely to be found on a COINtra's bookshelf-- it is suffused with the spirit of the counterinsurgency wave of the last ten years. The characters are seen discussing the works of Kilcullen and Galula, and thumb through the now-famous FM 3-24. The characters gain the upper hand because of a shift in strategy to engage the population. Yet the novel does not portray this process as simple nor touchy-feely. There is violence, and lots of it. Resources are always lacking. The trust, cooperation, and reliability of the Iraqis is always contingent. In short, the characters are not living out a Lawrence of Arabia fantasy (or, in the modern day context, Avatar).
While Clausewitz is never referenced, the characters are explicitly aware that they are carrying out "politics by other means." As the great Prussian noted, politics is hardly ever "rational" in the stereotypical understanding nor are its irrationalities always tamed by rational policy, and the characters understand this well. They do not achieve perfect understanding of the situation through ethnographic intelligence , although the understanding they develop is sufficient for their purposes. On a similar note, their friendships with Iraqis, while genuine, are part of an overall alliance of convenience.
If Senator's Son is an argument, its strongest point is that the characters' experiences are part of the larger sweep of history. The soldiers read Victor Krulak's history of the Marine Corps and learn to contextualize their struggle as a chapter in the United States' long-running experience with unconventional warfare. The continuity of this centuries-old history to the present day, although unpleasant, cannot be wished away.
The novel is, like many of the nonfiction books published so far, is a "first draft" of history. In time, other understandings are likely to emerge as the multiplicity of experiences from the conflict (Iraqi and Coalition as well) become part of the public record or become, like Larson's book, part of fiction. But it is a rare and powerful "first draft" because it reminds us that the abstract (and sometimes rather circular) discussions of strategy and policy that tend to dominate the blogosphere are not over some child's game of Risk writ large.
There are real (and devastating) consequences to strategic failure. As much as we can talk about structural factors and incentives and deride a "Great Man" version of history, we cannot deny that war and peace often comes down to decisions made by imperfect men and women in government buildings with far-reaching consequences. Hence the importance of making sure, as does the aged Senator-protagonist throughout the book's many flash forwards--that the right decision is made.
Comments