War is no longer war

More than seventy years have passed since the end of World War II, and since then we have borne the world with certain values ​​and agreements, which have distinguished and preserved us to maintain political coexistence on a global scale, at least in the geographical space in which we live. We know like the Western world. It seems that that time and values ​​have ended, or that it is on its way to doing so. The twenty-first century has ushered in an era of transformation and change; It is clear that humanity has, periodically, behaved this way. New paradigms – which still seem uncertain and dangerous to us – have shaken the known world. To the extent that the now-retired English General Robert A. Smith wrote in 2005 that “war is no longer war.”. Why did he make this statement?

After commanding various operational units in the Gulf War (1991) and the Balkans (1992-1998), where he held high-level military responsibilities, he succeeded in writing and publishing the work. Benefit of strengthWhich has been studied by Western military personnel and diplomats, especially the Spanish. Smith describes and explains how total war, the war of the desire to defeat the enemy and subjugate his will, has changed. Today, “war is raging among the population.” The real goal is to change intentions or at least seize the will of the opponent and the population in the middle of operations. What is the main difference? That military forces are no longer used to settle a political dispute or dispute, but rather are used to create the conditions necessary to achieve the political goal; Obviously it is not the same. Russia’s wars in Ukraine, Israel’s wars in Gaza, Armenia’s wars in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the remaining fifty-six wars that are still active justify this new approach. Today we live in a world full of permanent confrontations and conflicts, and wars are no longer what they were, but have become something else. Even the dichotomy between war and peace, along the lines of peace/crisis/war/agreement/peace, has changed. Constant confrontations make adversaries use all the tools at their disposal – hybrid warfare – to “influence” each other. As the “new sects” developed, population became the new battleground. Precious pawns on the chessboard.

But it must be said that there are facts or facts that have not changed much; For example, wars remain unsettled on the battlefront, but rather are settled or continued in remote, air-conditioned offices and men in black ties, even as soldiers continue their training and their mission, which is merely to kill or remove the opponent. Or the enemy. Yes, the dominant role of the United States is evolving, and at a rapid pace. Some emerging countries in the South, such as India or China, are already talking about you, and this new look will go even further. Ironically, we no longer know whether Israel obeys or orders its preferred partner: the United States. I’m talking about the conflict between Palestine and Gaza and the Middle East as a whole. In between, there is a growing sense of insecurity or dark clouds looming over Europe, and the classic response is to re-arm again. We mistakenly believe that in this way we will be saved. Somehow, subtly, with this return to arms, they will be able to keep the arms industry, especially the American one, in good working order. Without maintaining the process of continuous rearmament, the United States will not be able to continue over time to sustain military spending exceeding one trillion dollars annually. I mean, maintaining the size and functioning of their army is unbearable and economically unviable for them.

Since 2024 began, we have witnessed a direct – low-level – confrontation between Iran and Israel. Ukraine has moved into the background. The new stage of the Bab al-Mandab Strait entered through the Great Gate. Palestine remains without a solution, while people continue to die and suffer. Israel has no clear line of action regarding Hamas, in fact both sides are unable to resolve their differences, they have been killing each other for over 75 years. The European Union looks like a club of merchants and bankers without any common, convincing and real choice in foreign policy. The Americans, who are the ones holding the handle of the frying pan, in theory and until now, have not shown any will to stop the war completely. Yes, they did that in 1956, comprehensively. Some small actions and spilled words would have looked good in the face of public opinion. We will see what price the Democrats will pay in the upcoming presidential elections. The real danger we face in the war in Gaza is that – for the umpteenth time – the conflict will end badly again. But let us not forget that war is no longer war, and that nothing is as it seems.