Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (163042)	5/25/2005 4:13:14 PM
From: Bilow	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 281500

Hi twfowler; Re: "Of course the more advanced countries can continue to develop new advantages, maintaining their edge over the less advanced, but no one stays the most advanced forever which is basically the 2nd meaning. Having an overall higher level of technology can be a technological advantage that can last longer than a specific technology like the machine gun but it doesn't last forever either." No, you missed a somewhat deeper meaning to my comment. Yes, the countries that are more advanced always have more advanced weaponry, but sometimes more advanced weaponry doesn't do them as much good as at other times. There are such things as "revolutions in military affairs", but they are rare, as are revolutions, and there is no such thing as a permanent revolution. It's easy to tell when there's such a revolution going on; the advanced countries run the planet. At the present time, the advanced countries do not run the planet. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, there is not at present a revolution in military affairs. If there were, we wouldn't be having problems in Iraq. Re: "Many look at the Americans and only see the technological advantage. We also have an advantage in discipline and skill. ..." In the usual understanding of military technology, discipline and skill are part of the technology. For example, Romans practiced a lot with the short sword. That's a technological advantage, but it's not separable from discipline and skill. For example, how you train your soldiers contributes to their discipline and skill, but your training is also a part of the technology. None of these advantages are permanent, and, for that matter, our advantages in Iraq are insufficient to maintain control over the place. -- Carl