BY W. LAURENCE DOXSEY
“Intelligence Failure’ is a term of art used by government and intelligence related agencies and research bodies. In that context it can imply a failure to predict, a policymaker’s failure to act on intelligence, and failure from other governmental organizations.
We can safely say that the US missile attack of a primary school in Minab, Iran at the outset of the joint US/Israeli attack on Iran was an example of an abominable intelligence failure. Using out of date targeting information resulted in up to 175 people being killed, mostly young children. However, the term “intelligence failure” should also be logically considered more personally and expansively. The slaughter of young children should be seen in the context of the overall folly of starting a war - a war that is a Trump personal decision – one based on his personal “intelligence.”
An estimation of some kind of malevolent action and the playing out of various scenarios and countering actions are what formal intelligence bodies do but acting upon them (outside of tactical maneuvers) is what policymakers/leaders do. In other words, people that think and assess information are what drives actions or results.
The present state of our response to intelligence in the classic sense has shown a distinct lack of personal intelligence on the part of our President. Coupled with his lack of moral fortitude and a narcissistic personality, we have seen a huge raft of bad decisions and actions.
The case has been made multiple times that initiating a war by the actions of a single person is not how we are supposed to function in this country. It can be argued that the US has done multiple aggressive military actions without formally declaring war, but we are hard pressed to find an equal to the US attack on Iran. There was no sharing of rationale, goal, or meaningful interaction with our direct representatives in government (Congress) as specifically required within the US constitution. Goals have been coming out ad hoc for weeks and do a good job of showing the marks of an unstable autocrat at the helm - one with a personal intelligence failure that many can see is taking this country in the wrong direction.
Our President has access to multiple intelligence resources, results of many war games simulating a conflict with Iran, and a plethora of experts in understanding the psychology associated with an entrenched theocratic autocracy. We must ask how shutting down the primary chokepoint for 1/5 of the world’s oil (the Strait of Hormuz) would not be in Iran’s playbook in response to an attack. It was known full well this likely response would ensue with a cascading effect on energy costs worldwide.
One can argue all day about the basis for Trump’s wrongheadedness (his personal intelligence failure) moving through his narcissism, impulsiveness, extreme extroversion, need for domination, even corruption. Poor decisions and rampant examples of sick behavior have all been laid out in front of our faces - but effectively ignored by the meaningful stop to political wrongheadedness – the US Congress.
The failure of Congress to act to counter the massive intelligence failure at play mainly falls on its Republican members and their deep pocketed supporters. It is hard to fathom that personal intelligence failure is at play for all the Republican caucus members, but it is safe to say that moral fiber, guts, and loyalty to the US Constitution are lacking.
This is not to say that there is not also true peril for Republican members that do not toe the line of the boss man. Trump has demonstrated that he can readily rally or inspire violence. Think of January 6, 2021, and the violent attacks on politicians from his supporters. However, to toe the Trump line, no matter how insane, just to keep the job (or access inside trading information) is not a qualification for the types of character we need acting on our behalf.
We, as citizens, are at a critical juncture in that we can choose to ignore the lack of legitimate Congressional actions to rein in significant political wrongheadedness and malfeasance or we can act by voting out those that have acquiesced - in both parties - and select those that have the courage to wisely use not just our institutional intelligence but also employ personal intelligence, moral resolve, and adherence to our Constitution.
For me, to fail to do the latter would be an intelligence failure on us as citizens.
W Laurence Doxsey, Retired, Former Director of Office of Sustainability for City of San Antonio, former Environmental Officer for US Department of Housing and Urban Development, former Sustainability Officer for City of Austin, resides outside Medina.
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