Counter Revolution in Military Affairs

[pbi]

Do you think the trouble is the wars are over too quick now and the people [bad way to describe it] are not as easy to convert afterwards?

I think we might be defining "war" too narrowly, which is perhaps a trap that the US Administration fell into in Iraq (although the military and others certainly warned them...) If we think in a broader sense about "war" (or maybe "conflict"...) then we may see that the "Big Steel" part that is the territory of the high-tech RMA-type force is really just a part of the piece, and perhaps not really the most important piece these days. Defeating the "follow-on forces"  who wage asymmetric warfare to bitter extremes, while winning the trust and cooperation of the people, are the two means by which "peace" of any lasting nature, will be achieved. And those two things, unfortunately (or forunately, maybe...) are going to be won in pretty well the same way they have ever been won (or lost...): by soldiers (mostly Infantrymen) and othre dedicated people who understand the country, the culture and "why things happen". All the RMA's in the world will have very, very little effect on that. In fact, one could argue that by acting as a shiny, sexy distractionthe RMA has actually drawn the attention and mental energies of key leaders away from these fundamental things that haven't changed much since "Legion Whatever" was stomping around Palestine.

Cheers