What is poorly understood is that war itself (insofar as it is prosecuted with vigor and intensity) is inherently asymmetrical. There is not a soldier alive, who has survived more than 3 weeks on the ground in a combat zone, who doesn’t feel this in their bones. After perusing an army resource, a candid appraisal would conclude that all conflicts are dominated by asymmetry, with symmetry being the exception rather than the rule. War is the ultima ratio (regum), which is the final appeal to reason, in that one side determines that potential death and suffering are more attractive than the alternative. Continue reading →