Through the Fog of Narratives: A Personal Reflection on Military Analysis and the Tom Cooper Phenomenon
Growing up as a person of Pakistani origin, I have had a front-row seat to the powerful machinery of state propaganda. From school textbooks glorifying military triumphs that were, in truth, costly stalemates - or worse - to televised speeches framing every political or military failure as a victory of ideology over reality, I have witnessed firsthand how narratives can be shaped, sanitized, and weaponized. As I grew older, I learned to distrust simple versions of history. That instinctive skepticism, forged in the shadow of state-manufactured triumphalism, has stayed with me. It is why I remain highly critical of the Pakistani military narrative, particularly when it comes to cross-border conflicts, air engagements, and so-called strategic victories that crumble under even light scrutiny. This critical stance naturally led me to seek external voices - analysts and commentators presumably removed from the local passions and ideological entanglements of South Asia. It was during this se...