Michaels, Jeffrey H and Ford, Matthew (2011) Bandwagonistas: rhetorical re-description, strategic choice and the politics of counter-insurgency. Small Wars and Insurgencies, 22 (2). pp. 352-384. ISSN 0959-2318

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Abstract

This paper seeks to explore how a particular narrative focused on populationcentric counterinsurgency shaped American strategy during the Autumn 2009 Presidential review on Afghanistan, examine the narrative’s genealogy
and suggest weaknesses and inconsistencies that exist within it. More precisely our ambition is to show how through a process of ‘rhetorical redescription’
this narrative has come to dominate contemporary American
strategic discourse. We argue that in order to promote and legitimate their case, a contemporary ‘COIN Lobby’ of influential warrior scholars, academics and commentators utilizes select historical interpretations of counterinsurgency and limits discussion of COIN to what they consider to be failures in implementation. As a result, it has become very difficult for other
ways of conceptualizing the counterinsurgency problem to emerge into the policy debate.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Global Studies > International Relations
Subjects:	J Political Science > JZ International relations
Depositing User:	Jayne Paulin
Date Deposited:	26 Jul 2013 14:27
Last Modified:	26 Jul 2013 14:27
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/45797

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