RULESET RESET REVISITED
“We are currently engaged in
a global war. Regardless of our
preconceived notions of what war is, it is war by its nature, but it is not war
as we are accustomed to thinking about war.
Because it is not war which conforms to our conceptions of how war
should be waged, it presents us with a host of significant challenges, and
because war is a legitimate social activity, as incongruous as that may sound,
these challenges impact our society in ways which are both profound as well as
of great impact. It is precisely because
the impacts are of such great consequence that we must wisely consider the
changes in the rules which govern this activity. It is pointless to argue about whether we are
at war or not, as the character which war takes is defined by the societies
engaged in it. That we are engaged in a
contest of wills by means of force is plainly evident. What is not yet evident is the legitimacy of
the means, manner, and ends of the war which some seek to legitimate through
this contest. The nature of war is
unchanging, but the character of war is defined by the means, manner and ends
for which and by which it is waged. It
is critical that we take advantage of all available insight in defining what
these legitimate parameters of war are, for how they are defined will have
significant impacts on our way of life.”
The above was written some
time ago. The recent passage of the National
Defense Authorization Act for 2012 makes it sound prescient. Our way of life is in the act of being
destroyed due to our reactions to the changing character of war. Our national leadership has failed us by
failing to address these changes in a manner which preserves our way of
life. Any
The
