The Best and the Brightest is the title of the 1972 account by journalist David Halberstam of the failings in America’s Vietnam War
With the dismal end of the latest U.S. venture in Afghanistan, breast-beating is once again the order of the day
But straightforward explanations appear as unconvincing as they were 50 years ago
Intelligence failures – a woeful under-estimate of the Taliban’s strength in the country – is a possibility but an unlikely occurrence, given the length of American engagement and the magnitude of the U.S. military apparatus
Impotent Afghan military – painting an army with many failings – is another very partial truth, ignoring the real fighting commitments of these troops in the past years and the brutal termination of American logistics, key air support and drone intelligence on the ground
Irredeemable social strictures – highlighting the hopelessness of a democratic mandate – are a reality of the Afghan society, local clans with real provincial power and a forceful rejection of any central authority – as the clans have for centuries
Considered from any angle, the optics are bad for American power and the fate of Afghans who lived, mostly in larger cities – under the illusion of a heavily subsidized dream – much, much worse
It cannot be argued convincingly that the ‘best and brightest’ in U.S. government somehow ignored the intelligence delivered by the Military and the CIA, underestimated the crucial support needed by Afghan forces, and downplayed the clannish features of the society
The explanation might be sought in the state of mind of the key government officials, touted as uniquely qualified in their respective jobs not so long ago and indeed, these officials are…as analysts
Analytical nous will be in full display – and successfully so – at Defense, in the State Department or at the CIA
What is missing – with such calamitous consequences – is the holistic view: the recognition that diverse realities are interconnected, and the insights highlighting the whole in a decision process so much better than the sum of its analytical parts
Analytical strength, and holistic ineptness, make for flawed decisions, as we will argue again