I remember Col Nagl well. He was/is a capable leader and one of the best that I worked for while in 1st BCT 1st ID. We shared a lot of the same views. And shared a theory of insurgency's evolving. Another of his Proteges to look for will be when Col. Rourke publishes his book. Col.Rourke is as well versed if not more (if that's possible on COIN)

What shocked them was I actually wrote of Insurgency!!. I remember handing Col Rourke a signed copy of both books and he was like so you're that sumbitch. Laughing..

But even as a great read and a fine primer. Readers must realize Counter insurgency is the role of the government oppressor. To quote CSM.Lawrason and Col.Prosb Counterinsurgency is the domain of the government. Insurgency is the domain of the people.

We need to study COUNTER-INSURGENCY and practice INSURGENCY. What that posts reads like is that the preppers are going to take a stand against the Insurgency. well in the eyes of the government that is us.

I see a lot of commenting on street gangs. It is obvious that if you have identified an enemy you must study that enemy. Gangs are Social orders unto them selves. They do not want to be a part of any system. They are autonomous and already have a system in place.You work with them or you eliminate them. you just don't drive them away.

They have legitimacy already.They have a justice system. they have an hierarchy, they fight their enemies every day a two or three pronged battle. Police AKA the government, Other gangs and internal power grabs. So while others are planning or preparing these guys are already doing. They have access to some of the best weapons systems money or machinery can make/buy.

they don't back down or run away if rep is on the line. they live in a world that starts with a beat down and has a cost of life.They have access to the best intelligence and they have a network that rivals China's. They have in their ranks Doctors/Lawyers, Politicians Cops Feds Military active reserve and retired. They are not to be taken lightly. They have cash, gold,gems drugs bikes more bikes cars silencers, bombs, hitmen assassins, rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.
and Mongo !!

the reality is this when you have a total collapse you will have an emptying of the prison. with a free and on the loose full force La-Eme, AN, LK and MS-13 force on the loose it will be a chaotic nightmare.

It will not be one fight one town it will be a continuous fight. your numbers will ebb more than flow. You will change or you will have to start the resistance now. Because a bankrupt government cannot let prisoners starve. Sorry boys we cant feed you and the gubmint says we cant shoot you. so you will have to go out and get a job.

This is the Vacuum Paradox. Everyone who arm chair quarterbacks in this arena sooner or later has to do some real quarter backing. Get out of the chair and get busy. Effect the change in small bites or feel the affects of not making any changes.
Insurgency is new speak for resistance, Guerrilla and Irregular warfare.I remember Col.Howard commenting on that. His quote is one word in place of four as the politicians cannot figure out who we are fighting.

Reading into this some more I will say that what we accomplished in Iraq we knew would be only temporary at best. As Col.Nagl so aptly put it ("they have to want self governance and Representative government, Or they will not keep what we gave them")

And who we killed in Afghanistan was far more precise that Iraq. What we have in Afghanistan is a convergence of Non Native fighters. You could not ask for a better place for them to contain them selves. Limited infrastructure. Limited resources and just the ONE ROAD "Hwy One" "Ring Road" for any major end item. Spin Buldak on any given day had a smoking jingle truck or two that never got to deliver its tools of death.

In February 2010 we had managed to drive a wedge between the Taliban and AQ. That wedge was carefully crafted and devised from the onset and part of the preparation for OBL's downfall.


Building the wedge.

Karazai was instructed to seek repatriation offers from mid level Taliban leaders. They could come back to their communities and have a hand in the rebuilding processes. In turn they would abandon the current Taliban regime and break away from AQ.

SF and Special Projects teams would escort them to the meetings. I was on a "special projects team"

We would pick these Personnel up at a link up point from the SF Guys. Or from other points near Fob.**** for example. take them to Kabul/Zabul depending on what part yes Kabul/Zabul Pashto/Dari.They would then link up with Afghan Brass American brass and then we would wait for what seemed for ever sometimes days. until the meet was done. then from there we would take them to TK or Helmand or where ever the pickup team was.

It did not take long for AQ to get wind of what was going on. And then the press found out. That started the execution of suspected Taliban defectors by AQ.

This created an atmosphere of our guest is dishonoring us. and a wasta confrontation had begun. By sowing the seeds of discord the retaliatory measures by the Taliban were verbal only when the news of OBL's death reached everyone.

AQ having already executed some rather well thought of Taliban leaders soon found them selves with a resistance base that was less than willing.

this also took a couple of things that are not present to home grown-coiners MONEY and POWER.

The other thing that is disturbing is the Lumping of Patriots and Preppers.

Actually two different mindsets. the regular person (Prepper) runs away from a fire the insane person(fireman) runs towards it.

Patriots are firemen.

When we put the big picture politics behind us what do we see.

Bundy ranch Patriots

The border since 1985 Patriots hell earlier if you want to go back to 79

Waco micro strikes not the compound itself Patriots'

Freeman Patriots

Ruby ridge just a man and his family wanting to be left alone Patriots

Gordon Kahl Patriot

Yori Kahl Patriot

William Cooper Patriot

Charlie Puckett Patriot

Steve Anderson Patriot

Claude Dallas Patriot

Norm Olsen Patriot

Mark Koenkre Patriot

Blade Runner Patriot

Fal-Sarge Patriot

Havoc69 Patriot

Toad Monkey Patriot

Hutaree 8 Patriots

These guys ran towards the fire. they walked the walk.
They didn't hide cans of beanie weenie in the basement.And say we will poke our heads out when the shit dies down. They were the resistance.

Two separate mentalities and two separate doctrines.I have yet to see a prepper activist get assassinated for writing the Costco raider version of Upon a pale horse. Or for forming the cache raider state coupon clippers.

Yet that's what happened to William Cooper and Charlie Puckett.

You can Gage the effectiveness you are having against your opponent by the amount of dirty tricks they will pull on you.And the Government pulled some dirty crap on the patriots I listed above.

Those who take the safe road now will not have the stomach for the hard road later.

And something that Fal3 once said if what we have now collapses why rebuild it just to repeat the process. Hell hes right build something different. Re establishing in setting ones self up for failure. Get it in place now. don't wait.Bring it online when the collapse happens. Institute a government "In name only" then when the current one goes poof bring version 2.0 revised online.