By Mark Safranski—aka “Zenpundit”
Steven Pressfield invited me to do a guest post here at “Tribes” and give my assessment of the vigorous debate that greeted the entry of “It’s the Tribes, Stupid: War & Reality in Afghanistan” into the blogosphere. Or, at least the corner of the blogosphere that is concerned with COIN, military affairs, foreign policy, terrorism, Afghanistan and Iraq. The following opinion is my own and does not necessarily reflect that of Mr. Pressfield.
This “Tribes” blog attracted an unusual amount of attention for a new blog primarily for three reasons:
The blogger, Steven Pressfield, is a celebrity, with an established audience who enjoy his novels.
The blog enunciates a general theme or meta-concept—“Tribalism”—and applies it to a complex and politically controversial war. Moreover, Pressfield applied the concept of “tribalism” in a way that contradicts academic usage as articulated by many subject matter experts.
The blog, in a technical sense, is very well done with the video blogging episodes constituting a powerful, psychological “hook” in terms of attention economy incentives.
Unsurprisingly, fireworks ensued.
With any activity, there is a “learning curve” and while bloggers usually make their maiden efforts in virtual anonymity, Steve jumped in to the deep end of the pool and consequently, took some lumps with criticism that, fair or foul, was entirely in keeping with the rough and tumble nature of blogging. As with every blogger before him who raised a ruckus, Steve reflected in the aftermath and moved up the learning curve.
That was process, but there is also an issue of substance: the question of “Tribalism” itself.
There was enthusiastic praise for ‘Tribes”, naturally, but the criticism was equally as strong because Pressfield’s theme of tribalism as a general explanatory model is a powerfully attractive one. Too attractive, in the view of subject matter experts (SME) who drill down to a very granular level of detail and see all of the particularistic caveats or limitations of tribalism that exist in a given society. Tribalism among the ancient Gauls was not a carbon copy of 21st century Afghanistan, the artificial kinship network of the Yakuza or Shaka Zulu’s Impi formations. Yet, some similarities or congruencies remain even among such historically diverse examples because a tribe is a durable social network. In terms of resilience, a tribe may be the most adaptive and secure social structure of all.
Social Science SME’s are, in my experience, far more uncomfortable with explanations that cut across their disciplinary boundaries than are their counterparts in the hard sciences. Furthermore, arguments that are predicated on psychosocial-cultural premises, like Ruth Benedict’s Chrysanthemum and the Sword or Raphael Patai’s The Arab Mind are especially suspect in today’s politically correct academic culture, not for their flaws (both works have serious flaws) but for their approach of constructing generalizations, which inevitably come laden with implied or explicit value-judgments. Because generalizations apply best at a panoramic level and become increasingly less relevant as you get down to the gritty details where other variables conflict or interact, SME seize on these caveats to justify throwing the baby out with the bathwater to avoid having to deal with the politically messy aspects that can easily derail academic careers.
Well, that’s not right, analytically speaking. The limitations, conflicts and contradictions are not usually categorical refutations of the proposed generalization, in this instance tribalism, but rather critically important feedback to understanding the complexity of the phenomena as it applies or fails to apply to a specific scenario. To reject either the exceptions and limitations or the generalization itself out of hand is to stop thinking about ideas and to begin chanting an ideology. Weighing the factors with as much intellectual honesty and analytical objectivity as you can muster, reorienting your views in light of empirical evidence and constructing a synthesis, is how you move up the learning curve.
Blogging is not a journal article or a book, formal and frozen in time. It should be a dynamic conversation, a learning curve for all involved with the understanding that all the participants engage and leave the conversation at different levels of understanding and views should change. One of Steve’s more controversial original points was the supremacy of the tribal mindset over Islamist radicalism or jihadist theology. There’s a serious conflict between the two, as the works of Olivier Roy and Gilles Kepel have detailed, but there is also, both in societies and in individuals, degrees of coexistence. Very seldom is something as complex as a social system reducible to an either-or equation. Steve went on to address the juxtaposition of tribalism and radicalism in his recent post, an example of how the blogosphere can move as a conversation instead of as an echo chamber.
Therefore, I welcome Steven Pressfield and “Tribes” to the conversation without end that is the blogosphere, and look forward to watching his blog evolve over time. I don’t expect to agree with him all of the time or him with me, but I know that I will learn something from the give-and-take as we all try to move up the learning curve
19 Comments
Nathan, well written…”Afghans organize locally and have local concerns regardless of ethnicity, language, or sect.”…yes (although some will argue the part that comes after regardless), with the underlying Tribal Mindset (tribal mindset>which is what I was agreeing with or defending) . It seems tribalism is a term that needs to be categorized into the uses in which it is being proffered on this blog (mindset or structure).
Joshua Foust, whoa, so condescending. It is easy to critque but more difficult to present. I was attempting to get Nathan to present his idea..which he did in fine form. Again, I was upholding my belief that the Tribal Mindset Mr Pressfield presents is a fine working model. This model can be expanded upon where the specific area of operation reveals more detail. I still believe that his ideas on the Tribal Mindset help Americans et.al understand the Afghan. I believe that the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield begins with the mindset of the people and their social organization. Good luck with moving that mountain range.
I, a large part of the controversy is applying what Steven says as the Tribal Mindset and then arguing the Tribal Structure. Generalizations have become taboo in Western societies due to the emphisis on the individual. It does not mean they are not practical. How about presenting a competing opinion to Steven’s on the Tribal Mindset?
Wisener, I’ve been doing that. Pardon the frustration, but Mark’s entire post was to argue that people like me are too bogged down in “details,” when what we’re doing is explaining a more difficult, but more appropriate, framework.
You keep using the word “tribal mindset” and “tribesman.” Since Pressfield keeps changing the definition of what that means (most recently to include religion), could you tell me what it is? Because so far the discussion on his end hasn’t rested on any settled or established ontology.
As for the alternate models… I’m sorry, Pressfield has refused to link to my blog posts where I have previous laid out this model. Here they are.
The Myth of Taliban Tribalism
Breaking the Tribal Model
Misinterpreting ‘Tribal’ Sabotage
‘Tribal’ Engagement, or How We Lost Kapisa Are Are (Slowly) Regaining It
I’d also suggest reading these pieces, which are easily found either on the Internet or Amazon, which explain the idea much more comprehensively.
Glatzer, Bernt (2001). “War and Boundaries in Afghanistan: Significance and Relativity of Local and Social Boundaries.” Weld des Islams, 41, 3, pp. 379-99
Glatzer, Bernt (2002). “The Pashtun Tribal System.” in Pfeffer, G., and D.K. Behra (eds.), Concept of Tribal Society (Contemporary Society: Tribal Studies, Vol 5), pp. 265-282.
Giustozzi, Antonio (2007). Koran, Kalashnikov and Laptop: The Neo-Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan 2002-2007.
Shahrani, Nazif (2002). “Factionalism, and the State in Afghanistan,” American Anthropologist, Vol. 104, No. 3.
That’s where you can see the specific reasons to drop the idea of a “tribal mindset” and a “tribal society” and start to see Afghanistan on its own terms, without any baggage we impose on it through these terms.
Part of the point I hope to communicate is what keeps getting called “the tribal mindset” is really a very fundamentally human mindset in situations of insecurity and disconnectedness. It is more or less “the local mindset.” Where I get concerned about the use of the word “tribe” is that it implies hierarchy, leadership, rigid social forms, and intense loyalties to one’s group that we don’t really see in Afghanistan. I understand the desire to have a general form that one can adjust during the IPB process for a specific AO. But, because features implied by the poorly defined concept of “the tribal mindset” are not present almost anywhere in Afghanistan, I suggest it has no utility.
Nathan, I can see your point. Do you concede this…Afghanistan and its neighbors to an extent have been living in situations of insecurity and disconectedness now for hundreds of years? If so would this not embed them with the “tribal mindset” or the “local mindset”? How does a Westerner relate to this? The word “tribe” certainly carries with it some baggage in some circles. But, while we argue over the proper term, may I ask how you feel about the body of ideas presented by Steven? If you were to throw out the word “tribe” would you agree with him?
Joshua, would it suprise you to know that difficult concepts do not thwart my grasping them and that I have read a couple of the refrences you have presented (albeit some time ago)? Since you have gone to the trouble of listing others I have not read, I will endeavor to read them. I will tell you this about my experience with academians…(I do not know you so I am not applying this to you although you seem to have willingly taken the offense from Mark’s comment…again, not applied to you personally). They have a lot at stake if they have come to a definition or concept first. If it gets proven wrong then they have wasted their time, maybe lost a bit of self esteem and someone else’s money. So, they will defend their definition and concept to the death. This seems to be more the case with the social sciences than with the physical sciences (although I know some physicists that are quite territorial). I will pose the same question to you as I have to Nathan. If it weren’t for the word “tribal” would you agree in sum or in part with Steven?
I don’t think I would agree because really, without the word “tribe,” I don’t think there really is much of an argument. If “tribalism” is no longer the enemy, what is? Small town insularism? In my opinion, a lot of the description of Afghan society is filled to the brim with inaccurate connotations that the word “tribe” carries.
Honestly, I don’t think that the way that Westerners deal with whatever this concept is needs to be too complicated. We need to keep in mind a few things: People care about local concerns; We aren’t trusted and can only build trust through repeated contacts and following through on promises; Leaders don’t dictate, they influence; Our actions can create winners and losers. And a really key way to avoiding a lot of problems is to arm oneself with lots and lots of local knowledge. I’m sure there are more, and I also think we could simplify this down to “Be nice, Be respectful, Be honest, and Drink a lot of tea.”
In regard to your other question, I agree and disagree. Certainly many generations of a condition leads to some kind of social embeddedness. However, I think cultural practices get more deeply rooted than social structures, which were already changing in some fairly drastic ways in Afghanistan prior to 1979.
I don’t know, I just find it strange that people who’ve read books (books written by folks with language training, training in understanding society, and years of living in Afghan villages) about Afghanistan think that tribes aren’t important; and then there are people like Zenpundit, Wisner, and Pressfield who think, oh yes, tribes are important, they just know it!
I know who I’d trust.
“Nathan, I can see your point. Do you concede this…Afghanistan and its neighbors to an extent have been living in situations of insecurity and disconnectedness now for hundreds of years?”
Concede Afghanistan and its neighbors have been living in situations of insecurity and disconnectedness now for hundreds of years? I suppose you would have to define that which they are disconnected from. We all tend to orient (internally connect and isolate as to an advantage) ourselves to that which we observe, and much that we observe is our local environment. At times in this modern world, I don’t feel very “connect” to my environment, local or otherwise, but it is hard for me to imagine that the Afghans and neighbors are disconnected from theirs. In fact, I imagine that their system of social “connective-ness” (tribes, religions, ethnic identity) is strong because of the environment they live in. On the other hand, they may be disconnected from other environments, which must be what you are getting at.
Even after reading “Kite runner”, it is also hard for me to think of Afghanistan in the terms of “insecure”. There are elements that are really messed-up inside the society, but that must be true for every society, even one so much connected as ours (USA). Go back and ask Alexander how insecure those Afghans are. What did the Afghans tell him, you have never dealt with our poverty before? I don’t know if the poverty is from the land or the people, but I imagine it is from the environment they live in. Bring an element willing to pay (Taliban, Nike) and perhaps you could start your own religion or shoe factory, but which would the environment support? Would the Afghans be willing to work in a shoe factory as entry into globalization or let the Taliban into a neighborhood with promises of support? The answer to both questions could be yes.
However, let’s talk environment. What does the environment support? Does the environment support entryway into globalization (by bringing in near slave-wages jobs) or does it support China’s effort in building an oil pipeline through the country, because that is the real connective-ness we are talking here.
The advantage of talking tribes is that the USA knows how to deal with tribes. I imagine that the US military has a highly documented and successful strategy in dealing with tribes; my guess is you start by building forts inside the environment of the tribes.
Instead of talking tribes we should talk orientations, at least on the academic level. The right question might be: how are they oriented to their environment? How have these people isolate their decision making to give themselves an advantage inside the environment they observe. Then we could ask ourselves: how is their orientation a threat to us? We know tribes.