Warfare in recent decades has turned historic assumptions upside down. Countries used to be the enemy; now regimes are the enemy, while their subject peoples are our friend. Battlefield superiority used to be the goal, now it is assumed before a shot is fired. Victory used to be the goal, now it's peace. Promoting one's own interests was the exclusive goal, now helping the defeated is no less important. Victors used to plunder the vanquished; now victors fund the defeated. Rooting for one's own side was once assumed, while helping the enemy was treasonous; now, allegiance has become a legitimately open question.
I hope to chip systematically away at this topic. Here is a bibliography of my writings on this subject, with additions as needed:
"Mysterious America." IntellectualCapital.com, April 1, 1999. "While objective indices point to unparalleled American power, subjective realities paint a much murkier picture of confusion, insularity and reluctance."
"Attack U.S. and Win Aid." (with Jonathan Schanzer), New York Post, January 28, 2002. Considers and criticizes the "mouse that roared" syndrome.
"War's New Face." New York Post, April 16, 2003. Analyses six features of modern warfare
"War as Social Work?" New York Post, May 6, 2003. Assesses the odd development of judging hostilities less in terms of what they do for oneself than what benefits they affect the other side.
"The End of Treason." The New York Sun, August 16, 2005. Documents and explains why the concept of treason is nearly defunct.
"The Lebanon War's Strange Logic." The New York Sun, August 15, 2006. Considers the topsy-turvy situation in which combatants show themselves in stress.
"Op Eds Now More Central in War than Bullets." New York Sun, October 17, 2006. Hardware used to be the key to winning wars, now software is. "Solidarity, morale, loyalty, and understanding are the new steel, rubber, oil, and ammunition."
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