I was thinking recently about the way that warfare has propelled the development of commerce in many ways.
Warfare developed the production line with interchangeable parts for rifles and other weapons. It developed airplanes and railroads and gasoline engines. It developed innumerable technologies as well as medical advances that were adopted by the commercial society and became modernity. Most importantly the military introduced into society meritocracy and maintenance.
I look at South Korea that became an industrial society after the Korean War where Americans trained Koreans in meritocracy and maintenance. The same was true for Taiwan after the Japanese introduced similar institutions.
So I was wondering whether the Arab world will get modernity out of their perpetual state of warfare.
This led me to think about the current popular Arab tactic of beheadings and stonings that they so proudly show on the Internet.
The traditional strategy of Arabs and many other traditional warriors, including Genghis Kahn, has been the use of attack, terrorize and runaway.
Sufficient use of this particular tactic of ‘terror’ has historically led cities and towns to capitulate to the invading armies and lay down their arms in fear.
This strategy in general doesn't work against modern armies that do not withdraw, do not retreat or runaway. But the terror tactics still remain in use among Arabs in the hopes of forcing capitulation among other Arab belligerents.
Based on seeing the total ineffectiveness of the Iraqi troops after having been trained by Americans, I am dubious that modern warfare training will bring modernity to the Arab world.
I'm also reminded that highly skilled Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian pilots were shot down or destroyed on the ground by Israelis at a 100 to one ratio. No modernity there.
The reference in the comment below provides 90% of the relevant information to the 10% in this blog.