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Changing Principles Of War Technology Essay

He knew that war was taking a horrible toll and that his side was losing and was bound to be defeated inevitably. He had the practical first-hand knowledge of combat to make the correct, wise decision that saved countless thousands of lives. Would the same be possible today? It is highly unlikely. War, today, is highly theoretical: blips on a computer screen rather than blood on a knife, or at least visible detonations from a low-flying bomber.

Today's "captains of war" are so disconnected from the destruction they cause, one cannot help but wonder if the entire nature and principles of war have not changed forever.

Of course, nuclear weaponry has done its part in the shift. Today, man has the power to destroy his own planet hundreds of times over; until a few decades ago, man had immense destructive power, but it was limited in geography. For instance, America felt safe for centuries with two oceans between it and the rest of the warring world. That explains America's isolationist policy for centuries.

Such a policy is no longer possible. With the advent of nuclear weapons, America is thrust into the global warring spectrum - whether a cold war or a real, hot war - with any possibility...

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This ability to destroy so much on a first-strike basis is unprecedented. It has created a paradigm shift that defies the expectations and requirements of the Geneva Convention.
However, the Geneva Convention has fought the good fight in an attempt to remain relevant and a powerful force in war. Even in the second Iraq war, discussions of the prisoners held both in Cuba and in Iraq itself are invariably tinged with the clauses and requirements of the Geneva Convention: Are combatants treating the enemy with compassion and respect and proper care?

Of course, on the other hand, how does one combatant properly allow an enemy to surrender if the enemy so desires, if the combatant is shooting a missile from 10,000 miles away? Needless to say, the principles and nature of war have changed, and these changes come to us mainly by virtue of warring technology.

Bibliography

Lind, William S. "The Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation." Marine Corps Gazette. October 1989.

Hallion, Richard. "Air Power and the Changing Nature of Warfare." JFQ. Autumn/Winter 1997/1998.

Changing Nature of Warfare." National Intelligence Council Report: May 25, 2004.

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Lind, William S. "The Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation." Marine Corps Gazette. October 1989.

Hallion, Richard. "Air Power and the Changing Nature of Warfare." JFQ. Autumn/Winter 1997/1998.

Changing Nature of Warfare." National Intelligence Council Report: May 25, 2004.
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