- The Strategist - https://www.aspistrategist.org.au -
ASPI suggests
Posted By Natalie Sambhi on May 9, 2014 @ 14:55
At the heart of this work is a startling and improbable statistic and the equally surprising and counterintuitive thesis that flows out of it. We are used to looking back on the 20th century as comfortably the most violent in all human history — the silver medal usually goes to the 14th — but if Ian Morris (a fellow at Stanford University) is to be believed, the century that could wipe out perhaps 50 million to 100 million in two world wars and throw in the gulags, the Cultural Revolution, civil wars, government-orchestrated famine, trench-stewed pandemics and any number of genocides for good measure was, in fact, the safest there has ever been.
In addition to their ignorance of physical terrain (the Imperials often showed their ignorance of METT-TC; probably because they didn’t have doctrine writers), the Imperials ignored their successes on Tatooine and failed to engage the local populace, the Ewoks. One reason could be that perhaps they underestimated the Ewoks, due to their rural society and non-threatening outward appearance. If this is the case, then the Imperial forces made the same mistakes the British did in the 18th century when encountering the Ghurkas of Nepal.
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[1] Image: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/14109215393_2054127512_z.jpg
[2] human rights record of Indonesia’s presidential candidates: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2014/05/08/wither-human-rights/
[3] new book of that title: http://www.bookdepository.com/War-What-is-it-good-for-Ian-Morris/9781846684173
[4] thoughtful review from The Spectator: http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/books-feature/9173241/war-by-ian-morris-review/
[5] CIA and Pentagon are at odds over the drawdown in Afghanistan: http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-cia-afghanistan-20140509-story.html#page=1
[6] lethality of peace operations: http://books.sipri.org/product_info?c_product_id=473
[7] fabric containing carbon nanotubes: http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2014/05/researchers-develop-new-fabric-protects-against-chemical-weapons/84058/?oref=d-river
[8] CBRNe contexts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBRN_defense
[9] applies the notorious Field Manual (FM) 3-24 on counterinsurgency to Star Wars: https://medium.com/point-of-decision/87965b11771
[10] Ghurkas of Nepal: https://www.army.mod.uk/gurkhas/27856.aspx
[11] removed from office by a constitutional court: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-07/thailand-yingluck-court-verdict/5436798
[12] video on the court's decision and Yingluck's dismissal: http://csis.org/multimedia/video-sumitro-chair-ernest-z-bower-thai-court-decision
[13] in this Loopcast podcast: http://www.theloopcast.com/e/digital-theaters-decentralizing-cyber-command-and-control/
[14] In the paper: http://www.cnas.org/digital-theaters#.U2xi7IGSzq9
[15] here: https://www.aspi.org.au/about-aspi/jobs-at-aspi
[16] US Marine Corps: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marine_corps/14109215393