Thursday, February 16, 2006

Retread Solutions

The NYTimes had an article by Robert H. Frank about a heavy Gas tax, which would be reimbursed to Taxpayers by lower Income taxes. It sounds good, but relies on a complaint Congress which would not spend the additional funds. It seems better to lower the Gas tax from $2/gallon to $.70/gallon, and inform the Taxpayers they will not get it back. This curbs Inflation, cuts Gas consumption, and raises Tax revenues to reduce the Debt.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG478.sum.pdf
Pacification in Algeria,
1956–1958
David Galula

Galula was a very efficient and knowledgeable French small Unit commander during the Algerian rebellion. His ideas remain innovative even in this Day, and is probably the reason the Rand Corporation republished the Work for its hoped influence on the Iraqi occupation. I am quite content with the Galula methodology concerning pacification procedures, but will inform All of its insufficiency. Proper pacification procedure must look even further back in history to British occupation forms in India.

The Occupier, which the United States Military is today in Iraq, must integrate Native allegiance into a rigid military structure. The exact nature of this structure was only ever adopted by the British. Acceptable Candidates must be drafted into a Native force, subjected to a harsh military Code of Conduct, and utilized whenever possible to interact with the Native population. The key element of success in this endeavor comes from these Native units being commanded (both Officers and NCOs) by trained Occupier forces. The combination of Native units commanded by Occupiers, and real Occupier units to control and discipline the Native units, will generate the acceptable discipline and military policy sought by the Occupiers. Then, and only then, can Galula's ideas be effected. lgl

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