Pool it,share it,or lose it: an economical view on pooling and sharing of European military capabilities

In a general and economical view, this article analyzes methods and mechanisms for the pooling and sharing of military forces and weapons inside the European Union (EU) in times of scarcity. Pooling and sharing could improve the EU military capabilities significantly if differences in location factors were taken into account and all states would focus on their respective strengths. More competition and less concentration are the keys to ensuring guaranteed access to military assets. Pooling and sharing are likely to be successful only if large states enhance their emphasis on collective defense by mutual aid and self-help, and reduce particularistic and parochial interests of local gain. The realm of personnel has the most potential for improvement but any change is likely to generate policy implications.     

It's all the rage: why mechanization doesn't explain COIN outcomes

A recent article, ‘Rage Against the Machines’, does a disservice to the debate over what explains counterinsurgency (COIN) success. While it establishes a negative correlation between the diffusion of military mechanization in the state system and COIN success, its theoretical argument does not hold up under close scrutiny and its micro-case comparison of two units in Iraq during 2003–2004 ignores obvious counter-examples and factors that influence COIN success, such as leadership. A deeper inquiry would have revealed that there is much more to COIN success than simply not having access to vehicles.     

Use it or lose it: On the incentives to spend annual defence operating budgets

In most western countries, there is a strong incentive for defence department budget-holders to expend all of the funds they are authorized to spend in a fiscal year. In this paper, we question whether this emphasis makes sense. We develop a model of a defence department’s operating expenditure assuming a fixed level of funding for a year and uncertain costs. The results of the model suggest that the incentive for departmental managers to expend all authorized funds is inefficient. We explore the implications of the model for the Department of National Defence (DND) in Canada in light of the recent criticism of DND lapsed funding by the Auditor-General of Canada.     

Stolen trauma: why some veterans elaborate their psychological experience of military service

The embellishment of a warrior biography has a long history but examples of veteran elaboration of traumatic experience have become increasingly apparent. Although legislative change in the UK has removed the penalties for fabrication and a progressive decline in the military footprint may have increased the likelihood of such false trauma narratives, a paradigm shift in explanations for mental illness underpins this phenomenon. The recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1980, followed by studies to identify risk factors, led to a greater appreciation of psychological vulnerability. As a result, the use of shame to discourage acts formerly labelled as “cowardly” or “lacking in morale fibre” is no longer considered appropriate. Recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan generated popular sympathy for service personnel, whilst media focus on PTSD has led the UK public to believe that most veterans have been traumatised by their tours of duty.     

The Kashmir insurgency: As bad as it gets

In January 2000, the Kashmir militancy is gaining ground and Indian forces are on the defensive. This is despite a decline in militancy from 1996 to mid‐1999. While India has managed to secure greater international support from the West, the failure of an elected state government in Kashmir to regain the confidence of Kashmiris has cost Delhi support. The militant revival is being driven by increasing professionalism, along with strong support from backers in Pakistan. Given there is now a 12‐year period of violence to analyse, new literature brings interesting insights.¹     

短信文化及其存在的问题

手机短信迅猛发展的原因以及作为“第五媒体”的作用 ,以文本短信为例对短信文化加以分析 ,从七个方面指出了目前手机短信存在的问题。     

部队心理教育工作面临的问题

通过分析当前部队心理教育工作面临的突出问题 ,提出了改进和加强心理教育工作的基本思路。     

增长型失业形成原因及解决途径

转轨时期我国城镇失业的一个显著特征 ,就是经济增长伴随着失业规模的不断扩大。这种悖论的出现 ,是由劳动力市场的分割、国有企业的“内部人控制”、投资结构偏差等因素引起的。只有解决好这些问题 ,才能真正实现经济增长与消除失业的双重目标。     

Bringing it all back home: Hollywood returns to war

This essay looks at two Hollywood films Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers as reflective of a more general popular mood in the US that accompanied Operation ‘Enduring Freedom’ and the removal of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In part this mood was a militaristic one, though this can also be seen as a rather belated response by Hollywood to invest moral purpose in the US military following an earlier spate of hostile Vietnam war films. The two films examined are different in form: Black Hawk Down is a combat film about extraction while We Were Soldiers is unusual for a US Vietnam war film for investing moral purpose in both the US combat troops as well as the Vietnamese enemy. Overall it is possible to conclude that both films contribute to a kicking by Hollywood of its earlier Vietnam war ‘syndrome’ which is likely to have wider cultural and political repercussions.     

智能化战争形态及其支撑技术体系

智能化战争以全维信息感知为基础,以先进信息技术为纽带,以海量信息的高效处理与认知进化为核心,以提升综合指挥决策、高效自组织协同、灵活自主作战等能力为目的,有效适应威胁演进、作战任务、作战样式、作战地域、以及潜在对手的复杂性、多样性、不确定性,进而达到设计战争的目的。本文对智能化战争演变形态进行了分析,并对其支撑技术体系进行了探讨。     

集贸市场火灾隐患及整改对策

集贸市场作为社会主义市场经济的重要组成部分,其消防安全不容忽视。分析了当前集贸市场普遍存在的火灾隐患,从集贸市场建筑消防设计、集贸市场消防管理两个方面探讨了集贸市场火灾隐患的整改对策。     

谐波电流的危害及对策研究

随着工业化、自动化程度的普及和提高,对供电质量和安全的要求越来越高,因而谐波电流的危害不容忽视。探讨了谐波电流的产生原因,从影响电力系统正常工作、干扰电子设备、影响电磁设备运行、引起火灾爆炸事故等几个方面分析了谐波电流的危害,提出改善供电系统结构、装设滤波器、增大中性线截面、调整变压器接线方式等对策。     

论社会主义精神文明建设的哲学渊源及其启示

历史唯物主义是马克思主义哲学体系的重要组成部分,它在强调经济基础决定上层建筑的同时,也指出了上层建筑对经济基础所具有的巨大反作用.恩格斯晚年在许多重要信件中全面阐述了生产力与生产关系、经济基础与上层建筑、社会存在与社会意识之间的辩证关系,同时着重阐明了上层建筑领域诸因素对经济基础具有的反作用.坚持这一原理,对我国的社会主义精神文明建设事业具有十分重要的理论与现实意义,同时也给我们执政党的自身建设工作以颇多宝贵的启示.     

How and why Boko Haram blossomed: examining the fatal consequences of treating a purposive terrorist organisation as less so

Boko Haram (BH) is an insurgent group that operates mainly in northeastern Nigeria. Its stated aim is to establish an Islamic state, and it employs terrorism as its strategy. Earlier interests of security analysts centred on the drivers of BH uprising and the possibility of its internationalisation. Today's concerns relate more to why the rebellion has lasted this long. In toeing the same line, this article demonstrates that BH is a purposive terror group against which the government has evolved no viable strategy. It examines some gains of BH over the past six years and how it benefitted from the government's underestimation of its capacity and determination. It concludes that to effectively engage BH, the Nigerian government must revaluate its threat and sincerely pursue an expanded strategy beyond the current military-centric approach. To be effective, government's response must be packaged in such a way as to enhance human security in the region.     

Whatever Happens to Somalia…Ignoring it is No Longer an Option

The war against terrorism has brought Somalia, a country located in a key strategic region, back onto the radar of US and Western security concerns. Following a vicious civil war, a failed peace support operation and several attempts to start a peace process, lawless Somalia, a country without government, has gained the potential to be exploited as a terrorist base. Although this country in the Horn of Africa does not represent a direct and immediate threat to the US or its Western allies, its potential to destabilize the region is extremely high. This article offers an analysis of Somalia's potential to become a ground for terrorist activities and suggests a two-track approach. On the one hand, US foreign and security policy in Somalia needs to be more assertive; on the other, the only way to prevent Somalia from becoming a fertile ground for international terrorist groups is to help stabilize the country. In order to achieve this objective, it is crucial to adopt any initiative aimed at strengthening Somalia's civil society.     

一起放火骗保案件的调查与思考

随着社会经济的发展,放火骗保案件时有发生,且此类火灾造成巨大的破坏性,往往给案件侦破带来极大的困难。通过介绍一起放火骗保案件的侦破过程及相关证据的分析,探讨了公安消防部门调查此类案件应注意的问题。     

东突恐怖势力与对策

20世纪 90年代是“东突”恐怖势力发展最为迅速、活动最猖獗的时期 ,恐怖分子组织、策划了一系列爆炸、暗杀、纵火、投毒、袭击等恐怖暴力事件 ,严重危害了国家安全和各族人民群众的生命财产安全。本文追溯了“东突”恐怖势力的渊源 ,分析了其恐怖手段、袭击对象、组织、活动范围、训练等方面的特点 ,阐述了我国政府打击“东突”恐怖势力的主要对策。