Garry Wills: "Afghanistan is a Quagmire In Waiting"



(Andrew Delbanco, Joan Didion, Jeff Madrick, Darryl Pinckney, Michael Tomasky, Garry Wills, and Robert Silvers via VF.com)

Afghanistan, famously, is known among gloomy historians as the "graveyard of Empires." Witness the once mighty Soviet Union, Ozymandius, so bloodily turned back by surface-to-air Stinger missiles. Let us all pray that these United States of America, now "armed" with a psychologically vibrant incoming President, will do a better job there than tarnished Britannia and the gnarled Soviet Bear. Earlier this week The New York Review of Books hosted a post-election conversation on politics. From VanityFair:

"The New York Review of Books celebrated its 45th anniversary with a panel of some of its storied contributors, including the novelist Joan Didion, novelist and literary critic, Darryl Pinckney, political commentator Michael Tomasky, historian Garry Wills, and the director of American Studies at Columbia, Andrew Delbanco. Jeff Madrick, a former policy consultant for Senator Edward Kennedy also contributed. The Review’s founding editor Robert Silvers moderated the conversation, titled 'What Happens Now.'

".. Each panelist was given five minutes for opening remarks—half to discuss the campaign, and half to discuss what is to come. The general consensus was that Obama will proceed slower than most think and he’ll address a stimulus package immediately. The panelists’ warning of Obama moving with caution wasn’t in doubt, though, as Michael Tomasky said, 'He’ll have bold and progressive goals and ends. But he’ll move a little too slowly for some people.'

"... Garry Wills on the war: 'I believe Afghanistan is a quagmire in waiting.'"

The Corsair is not so gloomily skeptical about the effort, but considering the vast intellect of Wills, we are stunned at the pronouncement. More here.



(image via ny review of books)