Kenneth Pollack: Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness

[@Westminsterinstitute]

What do you think? Why have Arab armies underperformed so often for so many years? Can they change?

[@Thenoisyoneyes]

@Andres Larsson Signs of antisemitism ✅ Conspiracy theorist ✅ Doesn't know shit about us Arabs ✅ Thinks she has knowledge about Islam from her 5 minutes internet research ✅ Ok mam, I diagnose you with Stupidity syndrome, chances are you also happen to be a jackass trump supporter climate change denier I would advice if you try to work out your brain a little bit, that should solve your problem

[@dewittbourchier7169]

I think it is the wrong kind of training, not necessarily anything cultural. But given certain Arab ambitions and intentions, perhaps it is for the best for the rest of us that Arab Armies remain armies of sand.

[@fearhungerpride]

The primary job of the military is to maintain the political system and by proxy, their privilege's. Governments come and go, but it's the transition between governments, regime change, where things can get messy. Governments in the middle east tend to be autocratic and with a limited base of support. If the current leader isn't able to maintain order, then the military will do what it can to ensure a regime change that will maintain its privilege's. If a transition isn't assured, then a revolution could take hold and the entire governing system can devolve to a revolution. Can't have a democratic revolution where the military will be defanged and held accountable for its actions now, can we?

[@Мустафаиракский-я8ш]

Politicization of the military.

[@beorntwit711]

This book was a bit of a revelation; I am a student of military history (as a hobby), and have for long struggled to find the reasons for apparent Occidental superiority in military affairs (Armies of Sand has a chapter on Korean War which was particularly shocking to that notion of Occidental superiority). Why weren't the other societies able to resist Europe, or master its techniques? I found Armies of Sand particularly illuminating on the subject (since it uses comparation with non-Arab antiwestern conflicts); and it pains me to hear people discard it as racist, when there are so many useful lessons to be gleaned from it. I also found the comparative aspects of the book very interesting; but the key part is actually his discussion on sociological and cultural aspects and how these relate to military competence in fluid modern warfare, but also to economic and political organizations. I highly recommend reading it; especially for those who favor the 'praetorian guard'/politization of military theories.

[@akirubamiru6700]

I hope this book to be translated into Arabic, I think it would be extremely beneficial for the future generation of the arab world.

[@Westminsterinstitute]

That's a good question. We are looking at getting these talks translated into Arabic.

[@akirubamiru6700]

@@Westminsterinstitute I will try to find time to translate this video, as I am an arabic native speaker, but I couldn't promise that my translation could as accurate as professional translator.

[@commanderwalnut3846]

Arabs dont even listen, trust me most arabs are very close minded and they think anyone trying to criticize them just wants arab states to fail

[@KemetEG]

@@commanderwalnut3846 😂😂 because USA invaded iraq , syria

[@bebomahgoub]

@@KemetEG not to mention support dictatorships and spreading terrorism and mercenaries acriss the middleeast,,but i think the new arab generations will do much better as they already knew all the tricks of the west and who r their hands inside the arab countries

[@GunBreaux]

Most soldiers will run when backed by shitty logistics or commanders, there are many brave Arabs out there, their capacity for dedication and suffering is self evident. I've worked with a handful of Arab militaries, and though there are systemic issues, there was always something to admire in each. I hope in the next couple decades the governments of Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, etc... will swallow their pride and institute the deep cultural reforms necessary to be worthy of the sacrifices that their soldiers make.

[@justabeardedguythatisahero9848]

@shylock where are you from and where you did you work ?

[@tahahajjahmad8374]

Man we are like Austria in ww1

[@jono753]

More like Romania in WW1.

[@BobAbc0815]

26:24 perfect Pronounciation of ä, ironically in a Word that doesnt have one.

[@bobs5123]

Kenneth Pollock is a national treasure.

[@Random-om8rq]

Looooool turn on captions

[@magnustoth8506]

IQ in the region is in the 70s and 80s. I suppose he knows this but can’t say anything about it. What would an Arab army look like if you gave it an ASVAB test?

[@محمدسليم-ص8ع5ر]

Where is the video translation into Arabic? Where?

[@asinner9096]

Take two then young countries: Finnland and Iran in 20-30th of 20th century. Both were formerly parts of the Russian Empire, both were ruled by the former Russian generals, both have built their respective militaries with one major task, to protect their countries against the new Russian intervention. Both spent huge amounts of money for this and both ultimately had to fight the kind of war they had prepared for for 20 or so years - Finnland in the winter 1939/40, Iran in the late summer of 1941. Both were decisively defeated, but while the Finns managed to put a stiff resistance for a while, until the soviets took them seriously, the Iranian military collapsed in the matter of days. At the very same time as the soviets themselves suffered a terrible defeat by the Germans at Kiev. What was different in both cases?

[@amarjamakovic1297]

Iran? A young country? Ruled by Russia? My man you messed up there, big time.

[@susomedin5770]

???? Haha

[@REwing]

This opinion was over 5yrs ago. How the Arab world has changed, but not the warmongering Israel, the fly in the ointment.