Summary:Â Most of the content on the FM website concerns bad news and exhortations to action. Both are anti-clickbait. Today we have good news about humanity, on the largest possible scale. The trend of history shows a large decline in violence from the state of nature to now. Assuming we don’t nuke the world, this …
The good news of history: it’s a story of less violence & better societies Read More »
Summary:Â Since we appear to be locked into a long war, we should understand the nature of war and how its changing. Fortunately there are books explaining this in clear language. In today’s post Martin van Creveld reviews one of the best of the new ones, by a Stanford professor of classics. Your breath first …
Martin van Creveld asks “War! What is it good for?” Read More »
Summary: Today Chet Richards (Colonel, USAF, retired) looks at our conflict with the Islamic State. What kind of conflict is this? What is the nature of our foe? Victory becomes a matter of luck without answers to these questions. {2nd of 2 posts today}. Does it make any difference what you call it? Yes, because what …
Are we at war with ISIS? Does it make a difference what you call it? Read More »
Summary: Talk of another Cold War fills our news, with some forecasting a hot war with Russia — perhaps even WWIII. Today Martin van Creveld looks at the last great power rivalry that drifted into war, and explains why it’s not likely to happen again. (2nd of 2 posts today.} Slithering into War By …
The great powers slid into WWI. Martin van Creveld asks if we might do so again. Read More »
Summary: Previous posts in this series showed how America has militarized. Today we ask “why”? The answer is superficially obvious, but the deeper reasons are mysterious. This is the conclusion to a series about the militarization of America.  {2nd of 2 posts today.} “Purgamenta hujus mundi sunt tria: pcatis, bellum, et frateria.” -— This …
