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The appeal to the mystical image of the “warfighter” is that it avoids having to discuss war in concrete terms. It sells the attractive myth that by doing more of the parts of war that look cool and really make you feel like a man, you can actually win wars. That lame pencil-pusher stuff like logistics and map exercises are only around because of political correctness, that *real* warriors spend all their time doing CQB drills and pushups.
It seems almost unfair to contrast these ideas of play-acting at soldiery with the genius of Clausewitz. But we must not forget that war is a serious business. It is easy and good to mock the fact that America has a buffoon for Secretary of Defense. But the impacts of Hegseth and his school of thought will be measured in lives. Sooner or later, someone else will be Secretary of Defense, but that is no guarantee we will be free of the influence of these delusions. The only remedy is furthering the understanding of war as a serious affair requiring serious consideration, not the performance of a caricature. The aim is not lethality. It is not feeling like a man or like a warrior. The aim is victory, of forcing our adversary to fulfill our will. If that simple fact cannot be remembered, all the tactical acumen in the world will get you nowhere.
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From my latest on [Hegseth and the “lethality” obsession](https://substack.com/home/post/p-174999188):
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The appeal to the mystical image of the “warfighter” is that it avoids having to discuss war in concrete terms. It sells the attractive myth that by doing more of the parts of war that look cool and really make you feel like a man, you can actually win wars. That lame pencil-pusher stuff like logistics and map exercises are only around because of political correctness, that *real* warriors spend all their time doing CQB drills and pushups.
It seems almost unfair to contrast these ideas of play-acting at soldiery with the genius of Clausewitz. But we must not forget that war is a serious business. It is easy and good to mock the fact that America has a buffoon for Secretary of Defense. But the impacts of Hegseth and his school of thought will be measured in lives. Sooner or later, someone else will be Secretary of Defense, but that is no guarantee we will be free of the influence of these delusions. The only remedy is furthering the understanding of war as a serious affair requiring serious consideration, not the performance of a caricature. The aim is not lethality. It is not feeling like a man or like a warrior. The aim is victory, of forcing our adversary to fulfill our will. If that simple fact cannot be remembered, all the tactical acumen in the world will get you nowhere.
!ping MILITARY&FOREIGN-POLICY