ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book discusses the future direction of United States (US) warfare. It advocates the need for a military with the capacity to engage the enemy indirectly through low-level competition styled after Cold War engagements as opposed to less likely conventional confrontation between two or more economically and militarily powerful states. The book discusses the role of speed has combined with the technological innovations of war and war-making to have a disconcertingly potent effect on the soldier, citing Virilio's reference to the "violence of speed". It also notes that states like the US have led the charge in speed-based technology and military applications but have simultaneously failed to master the element of speed in modern combat and warfare. Gunpowder, airpower, and nuclear weapons stand out as three seminal revolutions in military affairs (RMAs) over previous decades and centuries.
