Essay: The war of new words

[Administrator]

http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2009/11/4114043

[seydlitz89]

The only thing that can obscure that obvious truth is the application of new words and altered meanings to bend the problem to fit the writer’s purpose — or to pretend that military history is less useful than the insights of those incapable of expressing themselves in plain English.

Agree. I also think there is more going on here, some perhaps obvious, some perhaps less so. First the use of the new jargon implies that traditional strategic theory no longer applies and can be disregarded, since what we are doing is "different". Rather I see it as obscuring the basic confusion of applying military means to a political purpose (establishing functioning democracies) which doesn't fit. War is reduced to "vague anthropology" attempting to council tactical technique. The problem is that the enemy does not share this disjunct between his military means and (negative) political purpose.

Your reference to Thucydides is also effective, since is not the debasement of language an indication of political/social decay? That is a community that can no longer communicate using a common language with shared meanings and values is a political community in collapse.

[Oldpilot]

The definition of hybrid threats as “a combination of traditional warfare mixed with terrorism and insurgency” accurately describes irregulars and guerrillas,

Does it? I was taught (War Studies, King's College London) that a hybrid war was one that combined guerrilla and conventional operations, as when Hezbollah stood and fought the IDF in Lebanon in 2007. Frank Hoffman has made a minor career of advocating this concept. You may disagree with his notion--as I do, in fact--but at least allow that hybrid is a hybrid, that is, an admixture of conventional and irregular warfare styles. Certainly it kerflummoxed the IDF in Lebanon. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford http://www.warbirdforum.com/modern/htm

[bandsawh]

Dan,

Based on the definition you cite, what makes a hybrid war different than any other? Throughout history, virtually all wars, even major continental ones, have had varying degrees of conventional and guerrilla components to their execution. I'd say your comment about Frank Hoffman's career springboarding off this "new" concept is just the point the author was making...it's just a means of repackaging to get attention, whether the motives are pure or not.