We indeed see the globe caught up in a 'new kind of world war,' but what kind is it? Veterans of World War One and Two would have to shake their heads at a 'war' where people die in fives, dozens or hundreds rather than millions.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Modern conflicts cause fewer deaths than past world wars, raising questions about their classification. Scale changes how we define warfare.
- In plain terms
- Today's wars kill fewer people, so are they still wars?
- What can you take from it?
- Death tolls reshape how we label conflicts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does violence become a war?
- How should we count casualties?
Another view
Small-scale violence can still be devastating locally.
More from Bruce Sterling
War as Napoleon knew it just not possible any more. However, we're very unlikely to accept or recognize 'world peace' even when we get it.
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