[wolfcreek]

Sen. J. S. McCains’s recent foreign policy speech came to mind when I read this article. (Philip Bobbitt-UT senior fellow, advisor to past admins, CFR member since 1985)

[PGalt]

...the lesser of evils. If this is so, then "Terror and Consent" offers the most we can expect from our blinkered vantage point: a dauntingly learned and occasionally infuriating manifesto.

Where's Lorena Bobbitt when you need her? /sarcasm

[Leisler]

"During the era of twentieth century industrial nation states ... 80 percent of the dead and wounded in warfare were civilians."

Yeah? What's the problem? Where do enemy soldiers come from? Their weapons, their psychological support?

During our Civil War, Sherman looked over a battlefield of dead Union and Southrons. He decided to take the war not to the soldiers, but to the farms and people who supported them. Total War.

One time Sherman had annoying problems with snipers who where shooting from the banks at his transport ships on the rivers. So, he lined the sides with Confederate prisoners. He often went into towns, said you are beat, put down your arms and took members of the elite hostage. Any intown funny business and ...well, it worked. Sheridan learned a lot and well applied it post war.

[Ben Ficklin]

I'll give you a preclusive/preemptive bump.