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Kasparov attacks: Deadly war strategies outside of the board

Kasparov attacks: Deadly war strategies outside of the board

This article shows that Garry Kasparov’s military philosophy is as aggressive as his chess was. It contains quotes of his regarding war and military conflict.

Contents:

  1. Kasparov’s military philosophy: the best defense is a good attack.
    1. “The art of military defense is nearly obsolete today”
    2. “Today’s warfare is about hitting first and hitting hard.”
  2. Kasparov believes inaction kills more people than aggression.
    1. “Appeasement and inaction have killed more people than intervention”
    2. “It isn’t war mongering, it’s values and consistency mongering”
  3. Kasparov thinks national security justifies military action abroad.
    1. “Yes, American soldiers fought wars outside of the United States, but again, they protected America.”
    2. “Wars can be fought way outside of the borders”
  4. Kasparov justified the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars because of their “benefits”.
    1. “They just don’t understand that there were benefits of these wars“
    2. “I cannot condemn any action that removes a dictator.”
  5. Kasparov decried the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
    1. “The decision of Obama to retreat, (…) this is the worst you can do”
    2. “You have to have a lot more troops in Iraq”
  6. Kasparov bitterly criticized Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
    1. “This is the sick joke of ‘the war is over’ and ‘there is no military solution’
    2. “The most defeatist and defeated US foreign policy in memory”
  7. Kasparov condemned Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria.
    1. “Trump’s Syria move is another Inexplicable gift to Putin”
    2. “Americans want to disentangle from foreign wars and military spending. But…”
  8. Kasparov opposed diplomacy between Iran and the United States.
    1. “The United States is repeating a terrible mistake by negotiating with Iran’s leaders”
    2. “The International community must bring maximum pressure to the regime”
  9. Kasparov pretends WWIII has already started and only attacking may prevent nuclear war.
    1. “As for WWIII, Putin launched that a decade ago”
    2. “As for nuclear threat, ask yourself if we are closer now or after doing nothing”
  10. Conclusion on Garry Kasparov’s military philosophy and strategy

 

Kasparov’s military philosophy: Defense is obsolete: Attack first, attack hard

“The art of military defense is nearly obsolete today, nearing its end after a rapid decline brought on by advances in technology.”

“The art of military defense is nearly obsolete today, nearing its end after a rapid decline brought on by advances in technology. The First World War was the last stagnant war of attrition due to III,’ advent of heavy mobile armor. At the start of the Second World War German tanks blittkrieged across Europe, often taking more territory in a single day than the German army had taken in months twenty-five years earlier.”(1)

 

“Static defense is dead. Today’s warfare is about hitting first and hitting hard.“

“Fast-forward to today and we have laser-guided bombs that can destroy a cement bunker 100 meters underground. Static defense is dead. Today’s warfare is about hitting first and hitting hard.”(1)

 

Kasparov thinks that inaction kills more people than military intervention

“Appeasement and inaction have killed more people than intervention”

“I answered the facile, do-nothing response that any effort to stand up to actual aggressors is ‘warmongering’ in 2015. Appeasement and inaction have killed more people than any intervention.”

 

“It isn’t war mongering, it’s values and consistency mongering”

“A fine sentiment in the spirit of Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn. The most moral foreign policy is also the most effective one, because it’s consistent. This isn’t “war mongering,” it’s values and consistency mongering. But has Biden walked the walk? Obviously not.”

 

Kasparov thinks that National Security justifies war and international aggression

Yes, American soldiers fought wars outside of the United States, but again, they protected America.

Again, no evidence provided for this claim. America has always been a remarkably safe place, safe for the attacks in 2001.(*) Nevertheless, let’s not forget that this was an illegal act of international aggression. Was it right for North Korea to build nuclear weapons? After all, it protected North Korea.[2]

 

“Wars can be fought way outside of the borders”

“They don’t understand that wars can be fought way outside of the borders, and in this extent, to this – if we look at the terrorist threat to the United States, Bush Administration was a success, though of course again, I think he failed to see the dangers of Vladimir Putin.”[2]

 

 Kasparov justified the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War

“They just don’t understand that there were benefits of these wars

 “We live in a world where perception often beats reality. And I think it’s the aura of the Iraq War and also the War in Afghanistan. It’s created an image. Again, a perception, in the minds of millions and millions of Americans and, of course, people outside of the United States, that they just don’t understand that there were benefits of these wars and one of them was that the radical Islamists, they were not defeated, but they were not as capable to attack the free world as they were in year 2000, at the end of Clinton’s second term.”[2]

 

Regardless of where you stand on the 2003 Iraq War, (…) I cannot condemn any action that removes a dictator.

“Regardless of where you stand on the 2003 Iraq War, and because of my background I cannot condemn any action that removes a dictator, that it took so much campaigning and falsified evidence to generate public support was a clear sign that Americans had moved on from the business of fighting evil.”[3]

 

 Kasparov decried the withdrawal of troops from Iraq

“The decision of Obama to retreat, especially announcing it, this is the worst you can do”

“This is the best way to lose the game. Because you don’t go back. Even if you made a mistake, you have to stick with what you have now on the board and to move forward just using your resources and just trying to come up with the best plan of what is available. So, even if we disagree about the Iraq invasion in 2003 and the consequent moves made by Bush 43 Administration, the decision of Obama Administration to retreat, especially announcing it, this is the worst you can do. At noon, at that day, that month, we are out.”[2]

 

“You have to have a lot more troops in Iraq”

“There were things we could all criticize about things Bush should have done in his second term and didn’t do, perhaps, and ways in which Rumsfeld didn’t properly understand that you have to have a lot more troops in Iraq and force order and provide security.”[2]

 

Kasparov bitterly criticized Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

“This is the sick joke of ‘the war is over’ and ‘there is no military solution’

“This is the sick joke of ‘the war is over’ and ‘there is no military solution.’ The war goes on, and the destroyers of human life and human rights employ “military solutions” to fight it in your absence.”

 

“The most defeatist and defeated US foreign policy in memory”

“I supported Biden over Trump without reservations in 2020. He had the chance to set America back on the path of standing for good, for the values of its founding. Instead, he is charting a course for the most defeatist and defeated US foreign policy in memory.”

 

Kasparov condemned Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria

“Trump’s Syria move is another Inexplicable gift to Putin”

“Trump’s Syria move is another inexplicable gift to Putin and will have real human costs, not just destroying American credibility as an ally and provoking issues within NATO (Putin’s real dream.)”

 

“Americans want to disentangle from foreign wars and military spending. But…”

“Americans want to disentangle from foreign wars and huge military spending. But power abhors a vacuum and Americans aren’t going to like the new-old world order of regional power struggles & global instability.”

 

Kasparov opposed diplomacy between Iran and the United States

“The United States is repeating a terrible mistake by negotiating with Iran’s leaders”

“Terror regimes should be isolated and their leaders should be treated like the criminals they are,” he said. “That is how can you support the people and the victims of these regimes. Instead, the United States is repeating a terrible mistake by negotiating with Iran’s leaders in Vienna. These negotiations are a waste of time except for Iran’s leaders.”[4]

“The International community must bring maximum pressure to the regime”

“The international community must bring maximum pressure on the regime & support those fighting for democracy and human rights in Iran. To do anything less is to forget the crimes of the past, to ignore the crimes of the present, and to enable the crimes of the future.”

 

Kasparov pretends World War III has already started and only attacking may prevent nuclear war

“As for WWIII, Putin launched that a decade ago”

“As for WWIII!, Putin launched that a decade ago while we stood by and pretended it wasn’t happening. Isn’t hindsight 20/20? Do you now wish the world had done more to deter Putin in 2008? In 2014 or even 2021? If yes, but now no, fear has blinded you as it did then.”

 

“As for nuclear threat, ask yourself if we are closer now or after doing nothing”

“As for the nuclear threat, ask yourself if we are closer to that danger now, after 8 years of doing nothing, and then ask if continuing that policy makes sense. If Putin is such a madman, why do you suppose you know so well what he will do?”

 

Conclusion on Garry Kasparov’s military philosophy and strategy:

Kasparov’s military philosophy in war and foreign affairs is to attack first. He has supported military interverntion in every major war or conflict of recent times. He has criticized all the recent presidents of the United States for their withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. He dislike diplimatic means, and often urges Western leaders and the public to engage in wars against Russia and its allies.

 

References:

  1. Kasparov, Garry. How life imitates chess. Random House, 2021.
  2. https://conversationswithbillkristol.org/transcript/garry-kasparov-ii-transcript/
  3. https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-will-america-stand-for-in-2016?ref=author
  4. https://www.kasparov.com/chess-great-kasparov-urges-us-to-end-nuke-talks-with-terrorist-iran-the-jerusalem-post-july-27-2021/

 

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