Sebastian J. Bae, War On the Rocks: How America was Seduced by the "Easy War"
As the premier military power since the Cold War, the United States, like hegemonic powers of the past, is held captive by the dangerous myth of the “easy war.” While terms like “network-centric warfare” wouldn’t formally enter the U.S. defense establishment lexicon until later in the 1990s, the central notion on which such concepts are based — that precision technology could be leveraged to quickly overpower an adversary — were validated by the stunning U.S. success in the First Gulf War. In a matter of 100 hours, with overwhelming and coordinated force and relying heavily on airstrikes, the largely painless dispatching of Saddam Hussein’s forces, the world’s fifth largest army, served as an affirmation to many of the invincibility of American military might. Compared to the bitter losses in Korea and Vietnam, the First Gulf War established an unequivocal military victory, reaffirming the value and dominance of the American methodology of warfare. Or at least that’s how the story is told.
As a result, the First Gulf War entrenched the notion that technology would provide near-omniscience on the battlefield, paving the road to an uncomplicated victory. Almost overnight, in the minds of strategists and policymakers, wars had become brief, casual affairs.
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WNU Editor: I know that those who have served in the military do not believe in the idea that "war is easy". But for those who have not .... which is most Americans .... this idea that a conflict can be easily resolved has always been perplexing to me. Is this the fault of the culture, media, politicians, academia .... I do not know the answer to that. But the U.S. is not alone. Other countries also have a perception that they can fight an "easy war". China sticks in my mind .... their culture has made the belief that a war can be fought successfully and without much bloodshed a common thread .... and when I hear my Chinese friends and associates talk about why Beijing should use force to enforce its territorial claims ..... I get the shivers. But everything is not hopeless. In Russia among my family and friends .... everyone that I know dreads the idea of becoming involved in a war .... regardless of the size and scope of the conflict. I can also say the same for most of Europe .... there is no appetite for war .... all the more remarkable because Europe is a continent that has known widespread war and conflict for thousands of years.
