anthropologist as counterinsurgency weapon

Oh, bloody freaking hell. I've just returned from a conference on 'public anthropology', which raised good and, for me, incredibly relevant and timely questions, such as, What are the potential roles for anthropology vis-a-vis public policy? How might we dialogue with other institutions (e.g., public policy) without relinquishing our critical stance towards them them or towards ourselves? How do we use anthropology's historically-informed self-criticism for good (whatever that means), not evil? We are the original handmaidens of colonialism, people. We helped make indirect rule 'work'. We know what's at stake in working for the man.

Then I get this. The NYT is really doing a number on my blood pressure this week.

It's nice to know that I'm spending eight years of my life working (you'll pardon me and my nod to Norman Rush) my tits to nubs so that I can explain "subtle points of tribal relations" to some guy holding an automatic weapon. From my point of view, this looks like a biopolitical gesture toward making the world safe for American capitalism.

I know, I know -- let he among you cast the first, etc., and I'm not even on the job market. But my god... So much for sociology as a martial art. This is anthropology as martial tool.