Network Warfare

Hezbollah is winning its war with Israel, and two myths are about to be shattered at once: First, that the Israeli military can take out any foe in that part of the world, and second, that Muslims can't fight. The effect of this is going to be enormous, and entirely bad for the West.

I remember as a schoolkid taking pleasure at the idea of American revolutionaries hiding behind trees, Indian-style, picking off the disciplined British troops in their formations. The Brits considered that unfair, a violation of the rules of proper warfare. Well, what goes around. I've felt for quite a while that the West is no better than 50/50 against the Islamists, due to their large advantage in moral resources. What makes us as good as 50/50, I've thought, is our military and weapons advantages. But those advantages are not turning out to be decisive. The article A New Enemy Gains On the U.S. describes a new form of asymmetrical warfare that is rapidly evolving on the other side. The responses discussed toward the end of the article look very weak to me. Forget 50/50, I'd say.