Economics and Modern Warfare - The Invisible Fist of the Market

This book demonstrates how economic tools have been used throughout history to accomplish goals of military conflict, how they can be used more effectively than traditional means of warfare in the modern era, and how we can derive a better understanding of economic strategy applicable not just to the military but also to market competition. This new edition includes a thorough updating of chapters on advances in our understanding of economic warfare and more recent examples, such as ISIS's reliance on obtaining control over oil production facilities, North Korea's nuclear program, and China's emphasis on scientific research and technological innovation. This edition also features an entirely new chapter on the commercialization of the conflict over the region of Kashmir. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-3 A Critique on Current Methods....Pages 5-29 Front Matter....Pages 31-32 Creating Shortages of Supplies....Pages 33-41 Creating Shortages of Capital Assets....Pages 43-48 Creating Shortages of Human Assets....Pages 49-55 Physical Confrontation....Pages 57-62 Systempunkt Targets....Pages 63-66 Limitations and Failures of Supply Manipulation....Pages 67-70 Suggestions for Future Research....Pages 71-72 Front Matter....Pages 73-74 Preliminary Concept: Terms of Trade....Pages 75-78 Preclusive Purchasing....Pages 79-84 Resource Appropriation....Pages 85-87 Supply Exploitations....Pages 89-96 Tactical Hiring....Pages 97-102 Tactical Pricing....Pages 103-113 Trade Agreements....Pages 115-118 Currency Manipulation....Pages 119-125 Counterfeiting....Pages 127-130 Limitations and Failures of Trade Manipulation....Pages 131-133 Suggestions for Future Research....Pages 135-136 Front Matter....Pages 137-138 Economic Intelligence....Pages 139-146 Labor Exploitations....Pages 147-149 Expropriating Peoples....Pages 151-160 Equity and Debt Engineering....Pages 161-165 Equilibrium Redirection....Pages 167-171 Decision Management Modeling....Pages 173-182 Resource-Based View of Warfare....Pages 183-193 Limitations and Problems of Market Manipulation....Pages 195-196 Suggestions for Future Research....Pages 197-198 Conclusion....Pages 199-201 Afterword....Pages 203-204 Back Matter....Pages 205-211 By referring to a handful of battles throughout history, a new form of military strategy is derived through the manipulation of supplies, capital, and markets. This book combines economic theory with applied analyses of military successes and failures, explaining them simply for audiences of all levels of interest. Improving on our body of tactical knowledge, Economics of Modern Warfare is an analysis of the potential for Adam Smith's proverbial 'Invisible Hand of the Market' to effectively submit enemy combatants while severely reducing the amount of risk and tragedy associated with war. By referring to a handful of battles throughout history, many previously dismissed as tactical anomalies, a new form of military strategy is derived through the manipulation of supplies, capital, and markets. This proof-of-concept book combines economic theory with applied analyses of military successes and failures, explaining them simply for audiences of all levels of interest in military studies, economics, or history An analysis of the potential for Adam Smith's proverbial invisible hand of the market to effectively subdue enemy combatants while severely reducing the amount of risk and tragedy associated with war. the author derives a new form of military strategy through the manipulation of supplies, capital, and markets by referring to a handful of battles throughout history, many previously dismissed as tactical anomalies. This proof-of-concept book combines economic theory with applied analyses of military successes and failures, explaining them for those in military studies, economics, and history "This exciting new volume notes that economic manipulation has been used in combat for millennia, but argues that the innovative strategists who have utilized such economic tools have not realized the implications of their actions. The economic dimensions of conflict are important so this will be a very useful book."--Ron P. Smith, Birkbeck College, London