Tom Ricks

Much Ado About Nothing: Future of War v. Clausewitz…but not really

Much Ado About Nothing: Future of War v. Clausewitz…but not really

In his latest article, Tom Ricks presents an interesting interpretation of a Rosa Brooks piece, describing it as an attempt to “smackdown” 19th century strategic theorist Carl von Clausewitz and his modern disciples. This would be unsurprising as Mrs. Brooks can exhibit a disdain for the old. But the semantic debate is meant to serve a more significant argument about the expanding use of military force to address contemporary threats.