Comments on: Counterintuiting the FATA http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2008/07/10/counterintuiting-the-fata/ Questions through the veil of ignorance Thu, 17 May 2012 04:17:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: spongeworthy http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2008/07/10/counterintuiting-the-fata/comment-page-1/#comment-224182 spongeworthy Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:39:46 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=3031#comment-224182 Pashtunwali is all very well, but any system of order is not just answerable to those who submit to it.  It's obvious the system is not applied to those who harm us, so why would we respect it? And though we did support a dictator, we had nothing to do with his coup. Who would you expect us to deal with? Targeted assassinations don't win hearts and minds but they do make people consider their career options. Of course you can find another lunatic to replace the liquidated one, but at some point the quality will be affected. Otherwise, I have no problem with your criticisms. That area is a complex problem probably better treated by hacking away at the Saudi roots than blowing off the branches. As you see, I have provided exactly one more possible tactic than you did. Pashtunwali is all very well, but any system of order is not just answerable to those who submit to it.  It’s obvious the system is not applied to those who harm us, so why would we respect it?

And though we did support a dictator, we had nothing to do with his coup. Who would you expect us to deal with?

Targeted assassinations don’t win hearts and minds but they do make people consider their career options. Of course you can find another lunatic to replace the liquidated one, but at some point the quality will be affected.

Otherwise, I have no problem with your criticisms. That area is a complex problem probably better treated by hacking away at the Saudi roots than blowing off the branches.

As you see, I have provided exactly one more possible tactic than you did.

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