Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

Shape and exploit crises environment that permits guerrilla vanguards or cadres topump-up guerrilla resolve, attract the uncommitted, and drain away adversary resolve asfoundation to replace existing regime with guerrilla regime.The conceptual implication of this is that:Guerrillas, by being able to penetrate the very essence of their adversary’s moral-mentalphysicalbegin, generate many moral-mental-physical non-cooperative (or isolated)centers of gravity, as well as subvert or seize those centers of gravity that adversaryregime must depend upon, in order to magnify friction, produce paralysis, and bringabout collapse.Yet,Guerrillas shape or influence moral-mental-physical atmosphere so that potentialadversaries, as well as the uncommitted, are drawn toward guerrilla philosophy and areempathetic toward guerrilla success.Strategic philosophy. The strategic philosophy underlying modern guerrilla warfare, as wellas Soviet Revolutionary Strategy and the Impact of 19 th Century Capitalism onInsurrection/revolution can now be discerned. It is only a slightly different rendering of theshort essence laid out above. According to Boyd, guerrilla vanguards employ a variety ofmeans to play-upon internal frictions within the regime, obsessions, etc., as well as stimulatediscontent and mistrust of the people. In this way, vanguards sow discord that in turnmagnifies the internal frictions within the regime. This paralyzes the regime’s ability to cometo grips with crises that further fan the atmosphere of mistrust and discord that feed thecrises. This self-amplifying process pushes the regime out-of-control. The Guerrillavanguards on the other hand share the burden as well as help the people to cope with theturmoil - that the vanguards themselves keep fanning and enmesh people into - in order todemonstrate the ability to deal with surging crises as well as to shape the image that onlyguerrillas offer a way out of existing unpleasant circumstances 91 .Now Boyd slowly peals away more layers to get to the core dynamics of modernguerrilla warfare. The discussion above offers the insight, so Boyd suggests, that the‘insurrection/revolution becomes ripe when many perceive an illegitimate inequality - that is,when the people see themselves as being exploited and oppressed for the undeservedenrichment and betterment of an elite few. This means that the guerrillas not only need anillegitimate inequality but they also need support of the people, otherwise insurrection/revolution is impossible’ 92 . The message to be derived from this insight is that 93 :Guerrillas must establish implicit connections or bonds with people and countryside.In other wordsGuerrillas must be able to blend into the emotional-cultural-intellectual environment ofpeople until they become one with the people.In this sense91 Ibid, p.93.92 Ibid, p.94.93 Ibid, p.95.206