An Un-American Way of War: Why the United States Fails at Irregular Warfare

August 23, 2021 00:54:41
An Un-American Way of War: Why the United States Fails at Irregular Warfare
Irregular Warfare Podcast
An Un-American Way of War: Why the United States Fails at Irregular Warfare

Aug 23 2021 | 00:54:41

/

Show Notes

The United States and other nations have spent billions of dollars and invested untold effort, not to mention lives, in a global campaign against Islamist terrorism—and yet the threat landscape is arguably worse now than it was on 9/11. Despite the importance for national security of understanding how to wage irregular warfare effectively, something in the American way of war, the fundamental culture of the US military, prevents us from doing so. William Wechsler and retired Colonel Liam Collins join this episode to discuss the question of what needs to be done to reverse this trend and thus ensure that the United States can recover from the mistakes of the past, restore its credibility, and return to its place of prominence on the global stage.

Other Episodes

Episode 0

November 05, 2021 00:56:37
Episode Cover

Special Operations Forces and Great Power Competition

Will the role and capabilities required of special operations forces change in a geopolitical context characterized by great power competition? How will SOF balance...

Listen

Episode

December 02, 2022 00:50:55
Episode Cover

Transmitting Values: Can US Security Force Assistance Export Democratic Norms?

Subscribe to the IWI monthly newsletter by going to www.irregularwarfare.org! What role does promoting liberal values, such as human rights and democracy, play in...

Listen

Episode

June 30, 2023 00:52:23
Episode Cover

Proxy Warfare, Theory and Practice

Why do states engage in proxy warfare? How does what scholars call principal-agent theory explain the way proxy warfare actually plays out—particularly the challenges...

Listen