At War with Ourselves

I enjoyed the insight that General McMaster provided concerning his efforts to help make America stronger and safer in the world. Very alarming to learn how Mattis, Tillerson, and McMaster couldn’t align themselves for the betterment of the country. What I don’t like was how one sided he was in his criticism of Obama and Biden’s national security policies and how complementary he was of Trump’s national security policies, but they really weren’t Trump’s but more so McMaster’s and the NSC. Trump doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand long term geo-political/national security strategy. He is too preoccupied with his narcissism and is a victim of his own sociopathy. I agree with most of McMaster’s approach to countries who pose the biggest threats to our national security; however, to assume they would resolve or prevent all of our issues today is either wishful thinking, naive, of very pretentious. Additionally, he makes Obama and Biden administrations’ NSCs and national security policies to be completely based on ignorance, naïveté, and incompetence. He fails to highlight the national and geopolitical circumstances and factors of the time for Obama and Biden that led to decisions he may not have liked. He fails to mention how the W. Bush administration created the Iraqi mess that led to the Al Queda rise and eventual rise of ISIS. Bush and cronies got involved in Nation building both in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was never going to succeed. It never does. He also fails to mention Trump and Pompeo negotiated a withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban without the Afghan government involvement that led to the tragic withdrawal. Once this was done there was no stopping the Taliban from moving in sooner than may have been planned and forced a terrible withdrawal that Biden was mistakenly blamed and could not have avoided. Remember Vietnam and the Americans and refugees at the top of the U.S. Consulate building boarding helicopters as the NVA and VC stormed Saigon? When you have no bargaining power with the enemy there is never an honorable and organized withdrawal from battle/war. Though a terrible event it was non-the- less inevitable. All this said, I really do like McMaster’s approach to our world enemies. I believe as he does that the U.S. must show strength to authoritarian leaders or else they will take advantage of the circumstances. I would hope that the current Biden NSA/NSC (and the yet to be elected Harris administration) reads this book and seriously considers what McMaster helped to implement as input in their future decision making.