Living in the Era of Post-Proliferation

My office used to be near Tzahal's book shop in HaArba'a St. in Tel Aviv. Prices were ridiculously low but there were few buyers. This bookworm - moi - used to spend lunchtime searching for something readable and bought some books. Today I found Emmanuel Wald's The Owl of Minerva at the bottom of my library and started to read it poolside. Dr E Wald is a Tzahal coronel and professor in the War School. After two pages I remembered why I never read it in the last ten years: I dont like it. Wald proposes systematic, mechanical military thinking.

I understand that the military all over the world have a problem, they have to formulate a defense strategy in a world with new players and new weapons. For example, who the hell are the Salafists? What will they do if a nuclear weapon fell into their hands? Wald has no answer, neither do I.

We'll have to leave some challenges to the next generation. If not, their life would be boring and uninteresting.