William Lederer and Eugene Burdick wrote The Ugly American in 1958. In the book we see lessons that these men observed in the real world documented in a fictional country known as Sarkhan. Sarkhan became a battleground against communism and capitalism. This battle was not waged with rifles and bombs, but with political action and inaction. Now, sixty years later, the examples in the book of how to operate abroad are still relevant and critical. The Cold War is over, but today modern diplomats and soldiers are fighting a new war. Special Forces (SF) soldiers will be in situations that closely resemble the situations within The Ugly American. Incorporating the SOF imperatives will be the bedrock of these engagements. Father John Finian and Louis Krupitzyn are two examples of individuals who incorporate the SOF imperatives to their work abroad.
The Priest
Father Finian, a Catholic priest, was deeply concerned with the rise of communism in the world. After getting assigned to Burma, he decided to dedicate his time to fighting the spread of communism in Asia. Without any training in Unconventional Warfare (UW), he was able to create a massive movement against the communists. During Father Finian’s time in Asian he demonstrated several SOF imperatives: understanding the operational environment, anticipating and controlling psychological effects, developing multiple options, providing sufficient intelligence and operating with and through others. He did not have a formal education in UW, however, priests work with people. He decided the best way to deter communism was to work with the people of Burma.
Before Father Finian left, and on the trip there, he dedicated his time to reading every available resource on communism and Burma. This r...
... middle of paper ...
...rom the beginning of our careers. Using these imperatives can be difficult at times, but using them correctly will enable ODAs to achieve larger effects that will lead to mission success. Louis Krupitzyn and Father Finian provide SF leaders with positive examples of using the SOF imperatives. Both men were able to achieve great things and for the Priest, with little funding. When ODAs utilize these imperatives at the tactical level, strategic outcomes are possible. Using these imperatives effectively will be the responsibility of the ODA leadership. The leadership on an ODA has the most interaction with the local people and the detachment members will look to their leaders for direction. When the top three members of the detachment make something important, operating though others or knowing the operational environment, the rest of the detachment follows their lead.
MacWhite arrived in Sarkhan well versed on the customs, language, and threats faced by the country; this aided him in everything that followed through his tour. Understanding the operational environment is critical in the proper application of all other Special Operations Imperatives. Failure to understand the environment may increase the possibility of applying other imperatives erroneously. By understanding the latter, MacWhite was able to face successfully the challenges through his time as Ambassador to Sarkhan.
In the novel, “The Book of Unknown Americans,” by Cristina Henriquez, she writes about the life of peoples migrating from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela and many similar Spanish-speaking countries to the United States. This novel talks in deep about the hardships faced by such peoples. Many characters are involved to make this story interesting. But the story mainly revolves around Alma and Mayor. Alma is married to Arturo Rivera and belongs to Mexico. Also, she is the mother of Maribel. Basically, she is the one who cares for the betterment of her family first rather than other materialistic things around her. She is a great character with many redeeming qualities who sincerely plays her role as a supportive wife and as a dutiful mother.
TRIANGLE The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle The book, TRIANGLE The Fire that Changed America, written by David Von Drehle, is set in New York City primarily in the tenements of the Lower East Side and in Greenwich Village. The story provides a detailed account of life as an immigrant during the early 1900s, the garment workers strikes, the corrupt political structure of the time, several eye witness accounts of the blaze that killed 146, the missing safety procedures that could have saved them, the trial that attempted to bring the owners to justice and finally the political change and work force standards that came about as a result of the tragic event. The book begins by describing participants in a garment industry strike and how any form of challenge to the authority, the factory owners, would be handled. He describes the money-driven political corruption that allowed the owners to thwart any upheaval by sending out the muscles of the not-so-underworld to beat the strikers, women included.
"Battleground America," written by Jill Lepore, provides a strong history of guns and the way they have changed in the eyes of the American through the years. She proves her point with strong evidence throughout her article, sprinkling it with opinion and argument that is strongly supported. She presents her argument to convince her audience that the open availability of guns allows citizens to undeservingly purchase them by displaying the credibility in her sources, using negative connotations in her speech, and the strength and objectivity only a strong logos appeal can provide.
The Ugly American was written in 1958 and was meant to be an indictment on the U.S. government’s failures in foreign policy. The book provides valuable lessons that we can learn from today as special operators. I will use several stories and characters in this book and my own personal stories to explore if the Special Operatives (SO) Imperatives were applied and analyze if we as Special Operations Forces (SOF) are applying them well today. We, as SOF, should never be afraid of learning new principals or examining principals from the past to see if they are applicable. The Ugly American is a good example of a work from the past, even though it is fiction, which we can learn from today.
Tzu, Mo. Against Offensive Warfare. Ed. Michael Austin. Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2010. 254-255. Print.
The lack of nationalism also proved to be a conflict for the people of Burma or Myanmar. The militaristic government’s philosophy of ruling isolated left people to live in absolute poverty and is a major human rights concern.
“Christmas must be crazy.” This is the traditional comment that I have received time and time again for my remarkably nontraditional family, which consists of five stepbrothers, one stepsister, two half-sisters, my little brother, my stepmother and father, my mother and her fiancee (with his own set of children!) as well as the legions of extended family and my host family in Ecuador, not including the numerous friends on campus and elsewhere who affectionately refer to me as 'Mom', 'Mother', or 'Momma', and who are considered practically family by this point. However, Christmas still goes quite smoothly, and I must ask: Is my rather large, rough family circle really that atypical of modern American society? The NYT issue of Science Times titled “The Changing American Family” by Natalie Angier asserts that our family structure is indeed changing, and we as Americans no longer subscribe to the traditional nuclear family modeled by shows such as Leave it to Beaver or the “blended” but still idealized model of The Brady Bunch. And, when we examine America's families, we find that the shift is happening not only from decade to decade, but constantly, especially with the passing of new laws and new understandings surrounding human rights and identities.
John F. Kennedy once famously said, “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” It has been said a few decades ago but the theme of war is relevant at all times. One might share Kennedy’s point of view, when another one not. The most obvious example of different views and approaches on how to deal with conflicts are of the Western and Eastern civilizations. The Western is focused on physical aggressiveness and getting things done through power and coercion, while the Eastern approach is more philosophical, rational, and strategic. We see such method of approach in Sun Tzu’s military treatise, “The Art of War.” Even though he wrote a manual on how to defeat an enemy, Sun Tzu emphasized that a large portion of success is based on the army’s moral duty, which is cultivated by incentives, leaders’ examples, and the ability to listen to their soldiers.
Through this we see that the author’s point of view is someone who understands that the events that took place that morning in Burma, were not humane and degrading.
The Ugly American was published in 1958 as a political novel by novelists Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. This novel stirred up many controversies in the political, social, and economic viewpoints. Burdick, along with being a novelist, was a political scientist and served in the U.S. Navy. Lederer was also known for holding captainship in the Navy. Together, these authors used their knowledge of political and military outlooks to portray the ideals expressed throughout The Ugly American.
...in. “The Cultural Imperative for Professional Military Education and Leader Development.” Parameters: US Army War College 39.4 (2009): 20-31. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
When comparing and contrasting U. S. military operations and capabilities with regard to regular versus irregular warfare it is important to understand the definition of irregular and the spectrum of conflict. In recent history, the term “irregular warfare” has been used interchangeably with or alongside insurgency and counterinsurgency warfare. This usage and comparison is too narrow. ...
Amongst military theorists and practitioners who studied war, its origin and implications, Carl von Clausewitz assumes a place among the most prominent figures. With his book On War, he demonstrated his capability to provide thorough historical analysis and conclusions of the conflicts in which he was engaged, and as a philosopher he reflected about all encompassing aspects of war. Today, Western armies conduct modern warfare in a dynamic environment composed of flexible and multiple threats in which civilians form a substantial part. Studying Clausewitz provides current military and political leadership useful insights to understand twenty-first century warfare. He explains the nature of war, provides an analytical tool to understand the chaos of warfare, and he argues for well educated and adaptable leadership capable of creative thinking. Although he died before his work was complete, his writing style was ambiguous and unclear at some moments, and current technology reduced some of his tactics obsolete, his work still arouses and inspires military and political strategists and analysts.
The American Dream is a national culture of the United States, the set of principles (Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, and Equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for wealth and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few obstacles. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in his book “The Epic of America”, published in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. At that time the United States was suffering from the Great Depression.