New War vs Old War - Abroad and Home
Posted: Wed 18 Jan 2023, 12:19:30
First some background on Old Wars’ versus ‘New Wars’
I thought this was an interesting way of thinking about the new world we are entering. I see lots of opportunity to view the world through this new lens.
I find it applicable to the Ukraine situation; what started as an Old War fought for land acquisition had turned into a New war where Putin hangs onto power by mediating the battles between the private military and the MoD.
But is is also applicable to the USA. The R/D conflict exists not to solve any issues but rather the conflict generates cash required for the political oligarchs to stay in power. Neither side wants to "win", that would destroy their money/influence generating machine.
https://wp.nyu.edu/schoolofprofessional ... -old-wars/
The book is predicated on the concepts of ‘old’ and ‘new’ wars and the nuanced differentiation between them.
‘Old wars’ refer to traditional inter-state warfare where militaries are focused on territorial conquest. These wars were centralized and financed by the state machinery through taxation of the public. ‘Old wars’ took place across the nineteenth and twentieth century and were fought over nationalistic and ideological reasons respectively. The battle is the decisive element in wars with the state’s military forces as the main target of the warfare.
‘New wars’ refer to warfare conducted by varying combinations of state and non-state actors. These wars are decentralized and the non-state actors involved include armed forces, paramilitary forces, mercenaries, warlords and private security contractors. ‘New wars’ are fought in the name of identity politics and not in the name of ideology. Identity politics has arisen due to globalization, increased communication and migration between countries. These wars are financed partially by the state and other, illicit means, such as looting, kidnapping, smuggling, bribery and stealing. The violence is generally internal and targeted at civilians
I thought this was an interesting way of thinking about the new world we are entering. I see lots of opportunity to view the world through this new lens.
I find it applicable to the Ukraine situation; what started as an Old War fought for land acquisition had turned into a New war where Putin hangs onto power by mediating the battles between the private military and the MoD.
But is is also applicable to the USA. The R/D conflict exists not to solve any issues but rather the conflict generates cash required for the political oligarchs to stay in power. Neither side wants to "win", that would destroy their money/influence generating machine.
https://wp.nyu.edu/schoolofprofessional ... -old-wars/
The book is predicated on the concepts of ‘old’ and ‘new’ wars and the nuanced differentiation between them.
‘Old wars’ refer to traditional inter-state warfare where militaries are focused on territorial conquest. These wars were centralized and financed by the state machinery through taxation of the public. ‘Old wars’ took place across the nineteenth and twentieth century and were fought over nationalistic and ideological reasons respectively. The battle is the decisive element in wars with the state’s military forces as the main target of the warfare.
‘New wars’ refer to warfare conducted by varying combinations of state and non-state actors. These wars are decentralized and the non-state actors involved include armed forces, paramilitary forces, mercenaries, warlords and private security contractors. ‘New wars’ are fought in the name of identity politics and not in the name of ideology. Identity politics has arisen due to globalization, increased communication and migration between countries. These wars are financed partially by the state and other, illicit means, such as looting, kidnapping, smuggling, bribery and stealing. The violence is generally internal and targeted at civilians