Monthly Archives: May 2012

US Counterinsurgency Doctrine, Practice, and the Afghanistan Case: Dr. Terry Tucker

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Inbound Choppers in Afghanistan 2008

Taliban fighters after victory in Ghazni
                                       Terry Tucker and Afghan Interpreter, 2011

A woman begs in bombed city 

US Counterinsurgency Doctrine is a synthesis of lessons learned over the century, and continues to be a dynamic process. Dr. Terry Tucker, of the Army Lessons Learned division of the Department of Defense, is also a war historian. After 54 months in Afghanistan training Afghani and Coalition Forces, Dr. Tucker now synthesizes Lessons Learned using his intake work with returning troops, trains deploying troops and works to advance the effectiveness of Counterinsurgency.

In this Policy Pace interview with Paula LeRoy, MAIPS Security and Development from Monterey Institute of International Studies, Dr. Tucker gives examples of counterinsurgency principles and practices and particularly elaborates on the Afghanistan counterinsurgency operations. With candor about the mistakes made, regime change, future outlook, and stabilization difficulties, the Afghanistan case is reviewed.

Click here to download the hour long interview.

Please leave us a comment here or at policypace@live.com to let us know if this was interesting to you, if you shared it, and other comments. Thank you.

Deep Theories on the Economics of Recession:Dr. Fernando DePaolis

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Part 1: Click here to download  this podcast in MP3 format.

‘Yes, economists warrant rock stars status,’ confirms Professor Fernando DePaolis of Monterey Institute of International Studies. Policy Pace hostess Paula LeRoy encourages the development economist to discuss various issues hotly debated as solutions to the worldwide recession. In Part 1, the disputed effectiveness of austerity measures, growth goals, debt default, foreclosure, import substitution and capitalism are some of the theories investigated.

Click here to download Part 2.

In Part 2, Professor DePaolis comments on ideological fervor and income inequality in response to Paul Buchheit’s theory that ‘wealthy people don’t deserve their wealth.’ Although creating a fairer tax system is desirable, DePaolis emphasizes the importance of government responsibility for infrastructure investment, such as education and to make favorable conditions for the market. Economic solutions advocated by Richard B. Reich in Future Shock fare better in the discussion, although noted for the difficulty in implementing them. To sum up, DePaolis sheds some light on the supply and demand theory, the concept of rationality, and describes his desire for his students in entering their chosen fields.

Click here to download Part 3.

In Part 3, Professor Fernando DePaolis offers a sneak peak into two of his latest research projects and findings. One project measuring the impact of  Monterey Agriculture was conducted with Professor Jeff Langholtz. A separate project on the effect of trade liberalization on the transformation of the financial system in China, was conducted with Professor Robert McCleery.

We welcome your comments here or at policypace@live.com. Please share the podcasts with your colleagues and advise us of any interview topics you would like us to pursue.

 

Challenges and Advances in Small Arms Control: Dr. Edward Laurance

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Destroying Arms in Sri Lanka

Trauma Recovery and Changing Norms in Burundi

 

Arms Collection in Afghanistan

Click here to download this 30 minute interview.

Small Arms and Light Weapon (SALW) Control, a fairly new category of Security Studies, has been innovated and championed by Dr. Edward Laurance, Professor and Gordon Paul Smith Chair of International Policy Studies at Monterey Institute.  With five decades of experience in the military, working for the UN, research, teaching at Naval Postgraduate School and Monterey Institute of International Studies, Dr Laurance’s knowledge is truly enlightening.

He shares with Policy Pace hostess Paula LeRoy particulars of the challenges and advances of small arms control. Among the topics are increased violence in the world, the origins of focus on small arms control, DDR techniques, and changing norms.

The conversation includes successes such as Operation Ceasefire in Boston, and failures such as the DDR in El Salvador. Dr Laurance summarizes the four lenses of armed conflict analysis: people, perpetrators, instruments and institutions that are featured in the new concise OECD book Armed Violence Reduction: Enabling Development.

The interview draws upon Dr. Laurance’s numerous publications, involvement with the Small Arms Survey, United Nations, Conventional Arms Control, and Development Expertise.

Please let us know if this interview was informative, your suggestions, what other interviews you would like posted, and if you would like to be an interviewer for Policy Pace, by commenting here or at policypace@live.com.  Thank you!

** the comment “everyone in Texas has a gun, but there are few homicides” was an obvious exaggeration, meaning ‘there is a strong consensus advocating gun ownership in many parts of Texas (but few homocides).’ Sorry if I offended anyone.