In Brave New War, controversial terrorism expert John Robb argues that the shift from state-against-state conflicts to wars against small, ad-hoc bands of like-minded insurgents will lead to a world with as many tiny armies as there are causes to fight for. Our new enemy will be looking for gaps in the system where a small, cheap actionâ┚¬â€œon an oil pipeline or the power gridâ┚¬â€œwill generate a huge return. Taking steps to combat the shutdown of the world’s oil, high-tech, and financial markets could cost us the thing we’ve come to value the most: worldwide economic and cultural integration. Brave New War makes the debate-changing argument we can’t afford to ignore.
Robb blogs at Global Guerrillas, his primary blog, and John Robb’s Weblog, his personal blog. Both have a wealth of information and observations about the distributed (and powerful) nature of social movements and insurgencies, and how the US military is clueless about much of this, Iraq being a perfect example. It takes a while to understand what’s he’s saying, but it’s time well-spent. While at first glance, you might think he’s right-wing, he’s not. He’s said he doesn’t have politics, and his observations about fourth generation warfare and tactics are generally spot-on. There’s plenty for leftie organizers to absorb and learn here.