Multi-Mode.

This is coolbert:

Here are interesting extracts from another web site with my comments [in bold as usual] concerning some of the practices of warfare engaged in by the ancient Greek city-states.

I have discussed some of these practices in previous blog entries.

The ancients did have highly developed thoughts concerning warfare.

Thoughts that were nuanced and had sophistication we only usually associate with the modern era.

"The constant threat of attack from the mainland or other quarters, in combination with the wariness towards fellow lowland states, and the necessity to maintain a high state of competitiveness in many matters, eventually brought about a surprising system of competition-cooperation between most of the city-states of the peninsula. For instance, every state would tend to all the wounded or ill found on their own territory after a battle, friend and foe alike, and return significantly injured/ill enemy soldiers to their home country at the earliest opportunity . . . No side would knowingly interfere in the care of sick or injured soldiers. For example, a troop of soldiers might pass through an enemy hospital camp on their way to battle, but not harass or threaten anyone in the camp at all along the way.

Teachers, tradesmen, physicians, women, children, slaves, and pack animals enjoy safe passage through areas of conflict (though the normal taxes or fees of peacetime passage could still be demanded, and from time to time mistakes did occur-- but there were stiff punishments for knowingly harming these entities)."

This is most interesting. War is not activity where the rule is that there are no rules. Even the ancients realized this and took this into account with rules, laws, protocols, etc. Wounded honorable enemy were treated with respect. Inviolate for the most part. And punishments were meted out for breaking the rules. American forces did treat captured, injured communist soldiers in Korea with decency. Japanese forces in World War Two [WW2] on numerous occasions attacked in a deliberate manner hospitals, killing with relish wounded enemy. In some cases the moderns emulate the ancients, in some cases they do not.

"Another unusual aspect of cooperation/competition between the city-states is multi-modal war. That is, distinctly different classes of overt conflict."

Multi-modal war is akin to the war/peace polar opposite sliding scale continuum that was mentioned in another blog entry. Even the ancients were aware of this concept and did practice it!!

"All-out war is a classification 20th century humanity would recognize. But this level of war among the lowlands state is most often declared against external threats rather than neighboring lowland states. For instance, all-out war is typically used only against the mainland.

The methods and consequences of all out war are of course much like what 20th century humanity would expect: the single rule that there are no rules, and winner take all."

This would be usually all-out war with external powers, not within the framework of the Greek-city states. NOT a contradiction when compared to my previous statement that IT IS not the case that in war the only rule is that there are NO rules!!

"Sport-war by contrast is almost like a Greek Olympics competition involving good fractions of entire armies wielding non-lethal weapons or even bare hands, in a test largely of stamina, strategy, and luck on the part of the opposing teams. The prizes of sport-war are pay offs from related gambling pools, bragging rights, and sometimes a special trophy of some sort, very similar to sporting events involving far smaller teams in the 20th century. Sport-war is engaged in frequently and easily, as it's fun and usually not much more dangerous than skiing or football will be for 20th century US Americans (i.e. isolated fatalities, occasional broken limbs, lots of sprains, bruises and cuts). It's also good exercise and practice for the troops involved, in manuevers and hand-to-hand combat.

Sort of sounds like baggattaway, doesn't it??!! NO, IT IS the same as baggattaway!!

"A more serious form of sport-war is trade-war, where some trade argument which cannot be settled in any other way is resolved as a result of the two city-states pitting perhaps half their respective armies against one another in a larger, grander version of the Sport-war, once suitable prizes have been established by the negotiation teams."

Peaceful co-existence with economic competition. [Japan and the U.S.].

"Freedom and citizenship offers many privileges; but serving in military actions is one of the costs for those privileges. All men of normal physical capacities are required to serve as soldiers between the ages of 14 and 21 in most of the city-states."

The American public rates military service as being the highest expression of a citizen's duties. In order of importance, military service, jury duty, voting.

"There are ways families can avoid their sons' recruitments, but those too are potentially costly in one way or another."

During the American Civil War, in the North, wealthy persons could buy their way out of military service by having a person take their place on the battlefield. This was possible.

"Of course, you could buy your way out of the draft. Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., did it, as I told you. A guy named Grover Cleveland did it. You could pay $300 bucks to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue."

But there was a hidden cost. This practice was legal, but had consequences in that it became a less than honorable practice, legal or not.

"Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., was a draft dodger; he bought a substitute. Perhaps that’s why Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., overcompensated just a wee bit."

A family name might become besmirched by those taking advantage of this "legality".


coolbert.