Proxy wars everywhere, the planet already in flames ...

[no more banksters]

We read and hear the term "proxy war" with an increasing frequency inside the blogosphere and through various analyses. Has the type of wars changed dramatically? Do we need to redefine the term "war"? It appears that after September 11, 2001 attacks the new type of the so-called "proxy wars" has been adopted not only by terrorists and groups of extremists, but even by the most powerful nations too.

War probably needs to be redefined in a sense that either it is not conducted directly by nations, or, nations themselves simulate methods more familiar to paramilitary groups, avoiding a full force conflict in open front. Moreover, the line between victory and defeat is not clear at all, and in most cases it is of less importance.

http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2015/11/proxy-wars-everywhere-planet-already-in.html

[Journeyman]

1. This was foreseen and discussed in 1991 by Martin van Creveld in his seminal work . . .

The Transformation of War.

Most wars since 1945 have been low-intensity conflicts and, according to van Creveld, incomparably more significant than conventional wars in terms of casualties suffered and political results achieved. Citing the dismal record of regular forces vs. irregulars in Vietnam, Lebanon, Afghanistan and elsewhere, he suggests that as small-scale wars proliferate, conventional armed forces will shrink and the burden of protecting society will shift to the booming security business. Van Creveld, who teaches history at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, argues that the theories of Karl von Clausewitz, which form the basis for Western strategic thought, are largely irrelevant to nonpolitical wars such as the Islamic jihad and wars for existence such as Israel's Six-Day War. In the future, he prophesies, wars will be waged by groups of terrorists, guerrillas and bandits motivated by fanatical, ideologically-based loyalties; conventional battles will be replaced by skirmishes, bombings and massacres. Weapons will become less, rather than more, sophisticated and the high-tech weapons industry (which "supports itself by exporting its own uselessness&quot will collapse like a house of cards. A bold, provocative, frightening book.

[bemildred]

2. +1. nt