tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post4891321216167491741..comments2024-03-29T02:47:44.652-05:00Comments on Future War Stories: The Barracks: Disconnected by Service: The Life of the Future SoldierWilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-64223886740512129122016-05-20T00:17:54.243-05:002016-05-20T00:17:54.243-05:00it's dominion, not dominationit's dominion, not dominationAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-1237338269755416882014-11-04T23:26:28.452-06:002014-11-04T23:26:28.452-06:00So could the wealthy could become "knights&qu...So could the wealthy could become "knights", the new "warrior caste"?<br /><br /> Speaking of which:<br /><br />If you mixed wealthy people buying powered armor or mechs with their "private security forces", could you recreate the Middle Ages era of warfare? Someguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04320868434966243515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-32464862793984269622014-09-21T10:32:37.601-05:002014-09-21T10:32:37.601-05:00ABC Warriors was similar in the concept that once ...ABC Warriors was similar in the concept that once machines are fighting, the idea and concept of war alters. Much like the machine gun and the cotton gin were suppose to put an end to war and slavery, they did either. My guess would be the same for war-bots. FWS will be covering more in-depth on this subject in the near future.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-41189174161524109362014-09-20T04:51:46.775-05:002014-09-20T04:51:46.775-05:00On the subject of using robots in place of solders...On the subject of using robots in place of solders.<br /><br />This reminds me of a quote I read some time ago, but I can’t track it down. <br /><br />“When robots fight wars, it won’t be war; I don’t know what it will be, but it won’t be war.”<br /><br /> It was spoken by an army coronel, but I can’t find his name. This concerns me because with all this talk of drones, and automated combat systems, this simple fact is being ignored. Wars are political tools for political ends. They start in politics, and end with a political resolution. There is not a definite beginning, and no clear ending. <br /> There is an episode of Star Trek Voyager, called “Warhead.” The crew of Voyager recovers an artificial life that was in truth a weapon of mass destruction. The conflict that it had been launched in support of had ended, but the weapon have crossed its “point of no return.” There is a similar theme in the movie “Fail Safe.”<br /> Robots are weapons that need to be controlled by human beings.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15463753036970838320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-53892373283598776332013-05-10T13:25:31.856-05:002013-05-10T13:25:31.856-05:00Thanks for the kind words...this blogpost has been...Thanks for the kind words...this blogpost has been in the draft pile for awhile, and I wasn't sure if people would like it...That is really cool information on the Moro! My Grandfather fought there during WWII, and I was always interested in this nearly lost chapter in American colonial history. I had forgotten all about that plot element of B5! Nice catch!<br />The SPARTAN-II/III/IV programs are all very good examples of an attempt to create a warrior caste, and you are correct on SOLDIER as well. All of those show us perils of developing soldiers that serve only because they have to. I love Dr. Halsey's speech at the beginning of HALO 4, and her diary entries on the subject of the SPARTAN-II program. BTW: I wished SOLDIER was better...a true shame.<br /><br /> Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-17448967728337516452013-05-10T01:40:10.321-05:002013-05-10T01:40:10.321-05:00You forgot about Halo's Master Chief, Which (i...You forgot about Halo's Master Chief, Which (if you have read the books) is a very good example of a Warrior Caste with a little bit of a breeding program thrown in. (The Spartans where chosen based mainly on there genetics.)<br /><br />Another good example would be the 1998 movie Soldier http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120157/<br /><br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-45812967126189139732013-05-09T07:20:34.698-05:002013-05-09T07:20:34.698-05:00I really love your posts on these matters -- and t...I really love your posts on these matters -- and this growing divide was something I'd always 'known' in the back of my head, but the way you framed it put it into a new light.<br /><br />Tangentially related: The Philippine 'Moros' are suggested to have been on drugs, but it's also been argued that they:<br /><br />a) tied cords around their limbs to reduce blood circulation and numb the sensation of pain;<br />b) rubbed an herbal topical painkiller to achieve the same effect;<br />c) entered a psychological state (perhaps religiously inspired) called 'Amuk' or 'Amok' meaning 'mad with uncontrollable rage', which is where the phrase 'Running Amok' came from;<br />d) may have gotten a reputation that has since been inflated (as argued by the post in this link (http://www.morolandhistory.com/Related%20Articles/Legend%20of%20.45.htm )<br /><br />Also, not a very strong example, but in Babylon 5 -- when Sheridan and the Interstellar Alliance comes to Earth, most people haven't heard about the war against the Shadows.Alex Osiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851139031311819958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-42926824860016767412013-05-07T16:53:25.022-05:002013-05-07T16:53:25.022-05:00I cannot believe that I missed the French Foreign ...I cannot believe that I missed the French Foreign Legion! That would have a prefect example!You are correct that our bodies were not designed for the rigors of outer space. I've not seen Skyline, but when I heard that element of the plot, it seemed very interesting. Too bad it was buried in that film. <br />I agree with you, Thomas, when I thought about it more. The Romans just to have a rule that only those with lands could be soldiers...that changed, but it proved that at times, only those with skin in the game could effect change. Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-63558641522535393192013-05-07T16:13:45.562-05:002013-05-07T16:13:45.562-05:00Regarding the civilian-military divide, I would ar...Regarding the civilian-military divide, I would argue that the World War Two experience is actually the exception. Taking just modern American and British history as an example most wars were fought far away from the home front. Even the US Civil War did not impact on the day to day lives of most Northerners all that much. The British until WWI did not really care all that much, they celebrated victories and complained about defeats but were not really impacted by the war itself. Their wars were fought by a small group of professionals, much like America's wars have been since Vietnam. The Roman Empire provides a really good example as well, the army was basically confined to the frontier, if you lived in the interior of the Empire you may not even have been aware the Empire was at war.thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-30728779815119343012013-05-06T17:56:52.349-05:002013-05-06T17:56:52.349-05:00Re a Warrior Caste, we already have that. A French...Re a Warrior Caste, we already have that. A French Legionaire may not have been born French, but joins the French Foreign Legion to serve the Legion, and not France per sé. Training and basing is always done away or at least seperated from modern civil society, and some Legionaires may spend their entire career in the jungles of French Guyana, or the harsh deserts of Djibouti. Once they successfully finish their tour, a Legionaire is offered French citizenship and a chance to retire in one of the Legions homes, which resemble (an easy) barracks life.<br /><br />If we ever have to fight an interstellar war, my money is on robots or some form of bio-mechanical hybrids; something *not* resembling a homo Sapiens because we're ill fit for interstellar travel, nevermind fight on a zero-oxygen planet.<br /><br />One of the coolest "supersoldier" scenes imho was in Skyline; the invading aliens took the brains of the locals (us humans) and plugged that into a kick-ass robot body. Using local brains/intelligence ("this is a door, this is a car") and combining that with superior strength is the way to go :)<br /><br />Good piece, enjoyable read.Marcasenoreply@blogger.com