War by other means, Russian style...

[Clark Griswold]

NATO Is Acting Like It’s 1985

‘Maskirovka’ Is Russian Secret War

Good articles on next-gen warfare as practiced by the Russians.

Question comes to mind: Can we do the same to them in areas that they tenuously control or destabilize their allies the same way? If so legally, then morally?

Thoughts?

[JS]

Pretty good articles, but like the second one says, Russians have been using some form of stealth and trickery for ages. So have the Germans. So has the United States. So has the British, Ottomans, Prussians, Romans and Greeks for centuries.

I think this type of soft warfare is exactly what we have to look forward to with the coming conflict with China as well. The enemies are always going to attack us/more powerful alliances asymmetrically, just we have done to our enemies in wars past as well.

[Clark Griswold]

Pretty good articles, but like the second one says, Russians have been using some form of stealth and trickery for ages. So have the Germans. So has the United States. So has the British, Ottomans, Prussians, Romans and Greeks for centuries.

I think this type of soft warfare is exactly what we have to look forward to with the coming conflict with China as well. The enemies are always going to attack us/more powerful alliances asymmetrically, just we have done to our enemies in wars past as well.

True - we all use dirty tricks or have in the past. My question is would we be willing in this time and with our political sensitivities (domestic and foreign) to stoke ethnic tensions, deliberately undermine civil governments with aid to TCO's, etc... the really unsavory parts of covert warfare.

I am not Machiavellian but with our national power not in decline but not as great in comparison to our past or to the power of our enemies and rivals, will we need to use these tactics? My two cents is that our current and foreseeable crop of civilian leaders in the executive branch will not go for them though they are probably what could be politically possible as they have plausible deniability, low cost, low risk to uniformed personnel but given our highly polarized / dysfunctional federal government not likely.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Clark Griswold