Dirty Wars, Jeremy Scahill

isbn: 9781846688508 is a book suggested by the book trade that few of you seem to have read.  Apparently also a independent film that never will make it to a cinema. Its territory is large and goes back to the Nixon administration although it focuses on 2001 onwards so some books i have read before (my blog) will help.

In the past wars by states where run on turnip fields, rules, and uniforms.  That is the old way. The new way is more nuanced and more fluid.  It means mistakes and association by default.  Rules having been thrown away means who has the right to claim that rules are needed when disposing of those on the wrong side.

With armies ill equipped to find bad people (my blog), that gives rise to private armies, and states backing iffy dictators of being a ‘friend’ to the united states become important as to ethics of backing a warlord over government is a question of power over idealism that might seem reasonable if unwise in the long term. If you have not been paying attention in the back that invents Chelsea Bradley Manning , oh and Edward Snowden who i imagine you might have heard of.

The book is american centric and the evil villain’s are certainly not angels.  Although the British solution to bad citizenry abroad is perhaps more legally nasty and also terminal*.

Ethics then become important, for example does the journalist talking to the bad men become a threat to the system** and the warlord, and if somebody decides to terminate somebody outside of a court should it concern you.

The book has questions but its composition leaves something to be desired although it makes its point with example and the policy as it goes back and forward in time to make its point with events that you may or may not have heard of being under reported.  The wikileaks insertion is heavy handed.  An interesting dialogue can be found on war and the politics of the complex.  An argument can be had that both armies and politics are ill equipped to deal with the present day reality.

4/5 bananas

* revoked passport and a missile ** no Rupert Murdoch wont help you