World Views

Remember Billy Mitchell? He was the General in charge of American air combat units toward the end of World War I. He warned the military leadership that if they did not invest in air power, eventually enemy air raids would sink our battleships. At the time, when American air power was in its infancy, it was unthinkable that bombers could destroy battleships. But Billy Mitchell persisted in telling all who would listen, including the public and the media, the time would come when air power would soon become a dominant force of war.  He ran a series of successful bombing “test” runs to prove his point.

Perverse as it may seem, the greatest threat that we may face is each other, and a regression into tribalism. Indeed, violent warfare has been one of the major themes in human history, going back as far as we can see.   Peace has often seemed like it’s only a brief intermission.   We are facing the very real prospect of an era of “climate wars.”  Or worse.