Is fighting a war with technological advantage fair?

[Epidemic]

Is fighting a war from the air using untouchable weapon systems unfair? Should we deploy troops to display our power and bravory?

I vote (b).

My only point earlier was that if the US military does this "remote warfare from 50,000 feet up", we should not, in the same breath, speak of the bravery of US troops, the fact that they are uniformed soldiers and therefore different from terrorists who are inmufti and that the US is sorry for civilian casualties. Because if you send unmanned drones to fight your war and drop bombs from 50,000 feet up and never see the enemy eyeball to eyeball, you can't also claim to be brave and fearless and all that good stuff.

But in war you gotta do everything to take out the enemy and make him die for his country, to paraphrase General Patton.

[Epidemic]

I am just trying to cover the whole topic in four lines though.

As for the bravery thing we have displayed our bravery thing in all conflicts. Somalia was american hand to hand at it's finest. The results were devastating 1000 dead to 19 american. Perty impressive.

Not as good as 200,000 dead millitary casualties to 100 experienced in the gulf war. The gulf war casualties were almost all due to mishaps and accidents associated with the effort.

[ClubMed]

No waging war from thousands of miles in the sky is not wrong or incorrect since everyone uses the means available to them, perfectly fine.

But then one shouldn't claim that they are brave or tough, only clever.

[Theophylact]

Perhaps not even clever but rich.

But don't overrate technological superiority. There's a wonderful Arthur C. Clarke short story, "Superiority", on the subject. Used to be required reading at MIT.

And, of course, the US had enormous technological superiority in Vietnam. The outcome there was not determined by technology.

[Redwolf]

In war, it doesn't matter how good the battle was, how much of an advantage one has, or how history remembers the battle. You must win with the minimum number of casualties, and the ability to convert the enemies towns and cities to your own or to be allies.

[SPEEDO]

I for one like having the advantage. It's kind of like the old days when we hid behind rocks and trees and wore clothes that blended into the background to fight the Redcoats, Who liked to stand in a straight line all dressed in red..............

Now this is not being said to start a flame war here, It's just being used as an example. We had our ways and they had there's.

Saddam knows what we have to a point so if they want to screw with us that is there problem IMHO.

[Epidemic]

The red coat's/ gentlemans war was the most correct method of war. It is kinda sad that we cause the death of that kind of battle.

A war where only warriors did battle. It was also a stupid method of fighting be cause the field of people with the most people usually won. And if you were on the front line you were really going to have a bad day.

Yeah, but seems kinda sneeky to hit a target from so far away using hiteck stuff.

Like shooting a critter (cat) 1 mile away at nite using nitevision high powered rifle- the critter didn't have a chance () and was kinda unfair.

My point is I think the US should use all the hitek stuff it can but in the same breath not talk of bravery yadda yadda yadda....

[Epidemic]

Bravery not stupidity.

Bravery going into battle and jumping on a grenade for your platoon.

Stupidity Jumping on a grenade when your platoon is safely out of range of the shrapnel.

Brave running up to a pillbox when your platoon is underfire and dropping a shachel charge in the enemy emplacement saving the platoon.

Stupid running up to a pillbox with a pistol when your platoon is still back a base and you are the only target and this pillbox serves no future strategic value.

Stupid is a taking a risk when there is a better more effective method of killing the other army.

Smart daisy cutter the pillbox, and the grenedier.

Brave refers to the pilots who fly into enemy territory and risk being shot down, or experiencing engine failure behind enemy lines. Brave is being in a country which really does not like you and could send in terrorists on a daily basis to kill you and your friends.

Brave is joining a millitary and risking life and limb for your country.

Perhaps the risk is limited but it is more dangerous than driving a car.