Comment on US Space Force by YNot1989
SO why have militaries gotten smaller? Why is infantry less numerous now?
Couple of reasons: The first being that economic interconnection, while not a deterrent to war, is a deterrent to completely destroying your enemy to the point where you can't trade with them when the war is over. Therefore, smaller, more precise uses of force are preferable to large conventional armies. Next there is the cost of deploying such a large force world-wide; humans need food, shelter, creature comforts and continue to consume even when they aren't fighting; and we only need a few humans to secure strategic points if our goal is not to completely destroy the enemy. Drones can handle the tedium of occupation and patrolling that a large force is largely used for, limiting the need for a large human presence. Finally, and this is no small issue: Lowering birthrates and the end of a three century long population boom is going to fundamentally change the way people think about everything. From the economy (housing markets exist primarily on the assumption that there will always be more buyers than sellers), to warfare: fewer people being born = fewer soldiers. So you have to do more with less.
Okay, now how did economic interconnection come about? And what is it exactly?
It exists today between the major powers of the world. Interconnection is trade, outsourcing, economic interdependence. Life in America would become difficult if Japan stopped producing things for it to consume. Life in the middle east would become difficult for America to deal with if Turkey wasn't there to keep it in check. See what I'm saying?
But what led to the greater economic interdependence in your future?
Nothing. Its already happened. Let's use the old paper tiger as an example: China. The US and China would NEVER want to go to war with eachother if they could help it, but lets say hell freezes over and they do. The US can't allow China to be destroyed nor could China allow the US to be destroyed, it would cripple both of their economies post-war.
Last Question, what led to the larger operational area of Soldiers, like they're expanded role and so on
First of all you can't think of soldiers of the 21st Century the same way you think of the 19 year old kids with M-16s stomping around Afghanistan. They're more like Knights, closer to SEALs than Knights, but still, the concept of an individual professional warrior commanding a host of infantry isn't new, its just making a comeback. It started out small at first, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan when Officers began begin educated almost as anthropologists to better know and treat with local forces. It will grow as the US begins to shift to a model of a few hundred soldiers training and functionally commanding a few thousand local forces. As drones become more autonomous they'll be lumped into this system of educated proffessional soldiers and uneducated infantry. As the Little Cold War continues with Russia, and the Eurasian Cold War with Turkey and Japan comes into the fold, another four decades of frozen conflicts will limit the movements of full scale invasions, and further force the US to expand its reach with smaller well trained professional soldiers who even in lower ranks must command huge numbers of infantry and drones. Additionally, cost cutting measures and a war weary public are further driving the government to take fewer risks with American lives right now. If ISIS existed 10 years ago, Bush would have sent half a million men to Iraq and gone to War in Syria.
Its a comedy of coincidences feeding into long lasting trends such as declining birth-rates, economic interdependence, precision warfare, and unmanned systems.
Its a comedy of coincidences feeding into long lasting trends such as declining birth-rates, economic interdependence, precision warfare, and unmanned systems.
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Thanks!