From: Brian Phillips (deepbluehalo@earthlink.net)
Date: Sat Aug 17 2002 - 09:43:49 MDT
<<So to answer the question partially. I don't know for sure, but whatever
the US government does should, if the view provided in that article is
correct and important, take into account that the opponent is
non-Clausewitzian in action and purpose. A retribution consisting in
say, nuking a few major cities in the Arab world looks to me like a
Clausewitzian answer, and hence I think an improper one in this
situation. It would not stop Al Qaida, or discourage them in any
significant way, while on the other side would cause Clausewitzian
reactions on many other governments, not only local or only Arab. If at
all possible, which might not be considering inertia of the political and
military establishemnts involved, the US should probably try to find some
non-Cl. way of retributing. Preferably one that does cause a lot of
discouragement and memetic reversals in both the general population and
these radical Islam ideologues, besides the more obvious small armed
engaments that would be needed to physically destroy the hardcore members
of Al Qaida. What I can't even begin to imagine is what the rest of the
world would do if the US puts all its weight behind such non-standard
kind of engagement. Probably getting shocked to death, for starters?
Carlos>>
I suspect that a aesthetically appropriate non-CL response would be
really irrational. And I mean *really* irrational.
Like say public Crucifixions for all proven members of Al Quaida.
Seriously... if you need to change the minds of a large number of people
and you don't care how brutal a show of force is required (obviously
I am not at this point, neither is the U.S. thankefully)
then public torture/executions are the sort of thing it escalates to.
Let's NOT go there.. Clausiwitz said politics is the womb of war.
People make politics, and our Gods ARE dead.
Let's keep them that way.
regards,
Brian
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