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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
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Subject: Re: connected lights
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2024 09:10:00 -0500
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On 9/13/2024 10:40 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Sep 2024 09:12:46 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> You'd think the Arabs would get tired of having their ass kicked by
>> the Jews.
> 
> The reason that Arabs are so horrible at winning the wars they usually
> start is probably not what you think.  It's not because the Israeli
> military is so great, but rather because the Arabs don't understand
> why and for what they're fighting.  I can't cover the whole situation
> in one hopefully brief article, so I'll just highlight the main
> problem.  Note that the following is mostly my analysis and may not
> conform with official dogma.
> 
> But first, a quiz.  What percentage of the land in Egypt is privately
> owned?  Take your best guess and then read this article:
> 
> "Who owns Egypt"
> <https://egyptindependent.com/who-owns-egypt/>
> "For nearly another century, Egyptians have not owned more than 7
> percent of the land, with the state owned - at least in theory - the
> remaining 93 percent.
> 
> "And citizenship will always remain a vague concept unless it is
> translated into ownership of land, on which agriculture, industries
> and services are used by the people of Egypt"
> 
> I picked Egypt because I couldn't find much information on how land
> ownership is distributed in the other Arab countries.
> 
> Visualize the armies of Egypt and Israel facing each other.  Israel
> know exactly what they're fighting for and why they are there.  The
> Egyptians ask themselves "Why are we fighting for land that we can't
> own"?  Or more likely, "Why are we fighting over a pile of sand? Isn't
> there enough sand for everyone"?  The result is that the Arabs have no
> reason to fight over land gains because they can't own the land or use
> it without paying rent.  The situation is like that among all the Arab
> countries, where the military is mostly from the lower classes, who
> don't own any land.
> 
> The Arab leaders are fully aware of the situation but are not inclined
> to give up any land in trade for a more motivated military.  Instead,
> they are motivating their army in the traditional manner.  They fight
> because their tribe has been offended by the enemy and for promises of
> spoils of war[1].  Depending on the alliances of the moment, the
> various Arab tribes do not share a common leadership, common goals,
> and common distribution of the spoils.  In other words, when they're
> done fighting with Israel, they revert to fighting each other.
> 
> Enough for now...
> 
> [1]  The looting of the Turkish train in the movie Lawrence of Arabia
> offers a clue:
> "Lawrence launches a guerrilla ambush on a Turkish train"
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83OC6xDH-sM>   (6:13)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

Yes to all that. Plus severe cultural and institutional 
military limitations.

As we saw the past few years in Ukraine, the Russian army 
doesn't have the wide and deep layers of noncoms, field 
officers and warrant officers in better (UK, US until 
recently) armies. I pointed that out right after the initial 
incursion and it's remained so, to their loss including flag 
officers (15, 16?)  lost in the field which is unheard of 
for US, British, Australian military.

The Arabs suffer that as well, along with officer positions 
given based on cash payments and party or family connections 
rather than aptitude, skill, merit. Enlisted/conscripts see 
it and know it.

Besides your note about Egyptian land ownership, the economy 
is run, such as it is, by the Army.  What industrial 
production there is (washing machines, autos, light bulbs, 
pens etc etc) are from Army factories along with food 
processing and distribution. That leaves a door open to 
corruption and they do all drive right through it.  The 
nearby States/Kingdoms are no better.

IDF, at least since Jablonsky, is a well ordered, highly 
trained force with extremely deep citizen support as 
everyone knows everyone in IDF and those networks extend 
after active service with amazing results. That's what built 
'startup nation'.

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971