tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post110615799140892827..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: Statecentrism and the War on TerrorDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-1120085797147478832005-06-29T15:56:00.000-07:002005-06-29T15:56:00.000-07:00To quote the immortal Ambrose Bierce: "'The except...To quote the immortal Ambrose Bierce: "'The exception proves the rule' is an expression constantly upon the lips of the ignorant, who parrot it from one another with never a thought of its absurdity. In the Latin, <EM>"Exceptio probat regulam"</EM> means that the exception <EM>tests</EM> the rule, puts it to the proof, not <EM>confirms</EM> it. The malefactor who drew the meaning from this excellent dictum and substituted a contrary one of his own exerted an evil power which appears to be immortal."<BR/><BR/>Mind you, he wrote that in 1906 :-).<BR/><BR/>As to the merits, I would Somalia is merely the extreme example of a real problem. The Taliban proves as a more moderate example. Though the Taliban were a "government", they did not have even nominal control of the whole country, and their real sphere of control was probably even smaller. As some intelligence analysts have said, the Taliban was at least as dependent on al-Qaeda as the reverse. When we took out the Taliban, the terrorists simply faded back into the stateless woodwork they were accustomed to operating in. I don't really think this is speculation--it pretty accurately sums up our experience in Afghanistan and Iraq--crushing victories over the state, significant trouble with the non-state actors in the aftermath.David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.com