Ancient Principles for a New Kind of War
This is a repost of an article I wrote several years ago dealing with the question of how to prosecute a war against an intractable enemy that refuses to fight by traditional means. The question then and now is: Is the best solution brute force, or something else?
For the student of military philosophy and its application in the present state of world affairs, it is perfectly valid to question the effectiveness of any philosophy being applied to current military problems. With the War on Terror taking such a prominent place on the world stage, the means we use to prosecute that war should be examined closely. Philosophies that brought huge successes in past wars under different circumstances can by no means be expected to work in every situation – therefore, a critical look at popular military philosophies through the lens of present military challenges becomes necessary. (more…)
