Lost in Translation: Innovating to Failure Review of “The Use and Abuse of Technology: In Insurgent Warfare”

摘要

Translating military capabilities into political objectives has proven difficult throughout history. The events surrounding the recent US military withdrawal from Afghanistan echo in the minds of those who witnessed the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. The drive to innovate lies at the heart of the greatest qualities of humanity and is particularly apparent in the speed of technological innovation within the United States. This retrospective will examine the relevance of Raymond Hain’s 1999 article, “The Use and Abuse of Technology: In Insurgent Warfare,” as it relates to today's focus on technological innovation to the exclusion of the human, social and cognitive domains.