Re: [GZG] Re: Re: Resources

[Oerjan Ariander <oerjan.ariander@xxxxxxxxx>]

A week or more ago, Fred Kiesche wrote:

> As for older books "going out of date", I have to
> disagree. Many of the basic principles set down 200 or
> more years ago are still valid today.

The BASIC principles remain valid; but the ways those principles are 
IMPLEMENTED vary enormously from age to age since the tools (weapons, 
methods of communication, sensors etc.) used to implement them continuously 
evolve.

Combat tactics on the level seen in StarGrunt or DirtSide are all about 
implementing the basic principles of combat *using a particular tool kit*. 
Change the tools, and the tactics will (eventually) change too as the new 
tools provide both entirely new capabilities and new ways of executing old 
tasks.

> Sun Tzu's specific methods of fighting (swords, etc.) may not be
> used today,

But what Allan Goodall was asking about was precisely the *specific* 
*methods* *used* *today*. He asked about *today's* tactics and *today's* 
modern equipment... and you won't find a single word about that in Sun Tzu, 
Clausewitz, Patton, Rommel or even Schwarzkopf, because today's modern 
equipment and tactics didn't *exist* when they wrote their respective 
books. He was not asking about the basic principles, but about the *tools* 
used to implement them.

> Strategy Page? What can I say, I'm a US-centric kind
> of guy, being an ex-US Army kind of person.

Which means that you'll run a big risk of missing non-US developments... 
such as eg. the non-emitting (and thus ARM-negating) AA sensors Derk 
described :-/ Although this might come as a surprise to many Americans, 
staying up to date with US technology only isn't enough if you want to stay 
up to date with current military technology <g>

Regards,

Oerjan
oerjan.ariander@xxxxxxxxx

"Life is like a sewer.
 What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l