Let us apply the expanded KM framework to the conflict between Israel on the one hand and Hamas and Hezbollah on the other hand.
Below I reproduce in the upper diagram the expanded KM framework, while the lower diagram shows which metacapitals the Israeli war machinery is hitting Hamas and Hezbollah, and which metacapitals are the strength of Hamas and Hezbollah. Note that Hamas and Hezbollah are more than just fighting groups, more so they provide or they ARE community development and support systems (relationship capital) intensely motivated by their particular but strong religious beliefs (motivational factor).
What do we notice?
- The Israeli armed forces are not only missing the areas of strengths of Hamas and Hezbollah, their conventional military offensives are likely to be further strengthening them. The latest “disproportional” Israeli offensive in Gaza may have created the motivational energy to spawn one more generation of Palestinian suicide bombers!
- Conventional military means that seek to kill people (human capital) and destroy infrastructures (tangible assets) are utterly inappropriate to deal with an adversary whose strength and means of warfare are elsewhere: on strong network or sense of community (relational capital) and on strong belief or ideology (motivational factor). Killing a terrorist does not kill what inspires more terrorists to volunteer. Cruise missiles and aircraft carriers cannot defeat terrorism. In blog post Q18 I wrote how a smaller and less militarily and economically powerful Vietnam defeated its foe, the United States, who had superior technology and war machinery: an example of stronger motivational factor and relational capital overcoming tangible assets no matter how superior!
- Conventional military doctrine is inappropriate in the context of “clash of civilizations”.
- Conventional military doctrine may eventually be seen as counter-productive in a shrinking world where human groups need to learn to live together in diversity but peace and harmony.
What’s in your mind now? Please share it by clicking the “Comment” link below and converting your tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge for more people to see.
=>Back to main page of Apin Talisayon’s Weblog
=>Jump to Clickable Master Index
Apin Talisayon's Weblog 