If you go back in time to analyze how the human species used to hunt, and develop weapons to kill each other, before we learned to extend our reach through the development of the technology of the day (a spear, for example, that you threw), you had to kill the beast (or your enemy) with your bare hands or a rock. You would trap the animal, or choke the human you had a tribal disagreement with, eye-gouge him using brute strength to win, or perhaps grabbing a rock to pummel them in the head.
From there we learned to extend ourselves. Technology development to kill sets us apart from others in the animal kingdom. Humans use their brains to develop better weapons. At first that meant sharpening rocks so they could be used as knives to stab others, Then the spear became applicable, and we could throw it, killing others from a greater distance (at the same time distancing ourselves from our enemies or prey).
Bow and arrows, along with the slingshot, followed, further adding to the divide so that we didn’t have to see eye-to-eye and could instead site and launch farther and farther away. The catapult, a unique, bigger weapon, was built to send objects even farther, wreaking havoc and fear upon your opponent. “OH, crap, here comes another boulder, Ignatious. TAKE COVER!” Then, BAM, the huge stone would land and scatter the troops.
Cannons, gunpowder and bullets all followed this evolutionary path of placing one invention on top of another, applying knowledge from a craft artisans in the previous age to develop something stronger, more accurate and capable of furthering destruction.
Bombs, tanks, chemical weapons, satellites and nuclear warheads have completed this cycle in the past 70 years or so, leading to our current inability to reign in or even quantify what has been developed and deployed in the name of “protection” or “warfare” or “preparation to defend ourselves.” You can choose your term.
What’s deeply disturbing is the human capacity to continue weaponizing at these higher and higher levels without coming to grips with the issue really of “why.” Or, “how much?”
As technology leapfrogs and grows increasingly sophisticated, what do countries get when they write a contract for an F-36 jet aircraft that only a few people understand and can judge in terms it’s safety, value, integrity and capability to deliver what a company says it will deliver? Quite frankly, we don’t know what we’re getting. We’re taking educated guesses.
Which leads to further growth and spending in the arms markets. To keep up, we think the other team is ahead. We want the next best thing. We invest. The other team does the same thing. We can’t prove anything, so we keep inventing and pretending we’ll come out on top.
That’s the goal – to defeat the foe, the terrible beast. No budget can be too large to assume supremacy and impose your will.
It’s why shortcuts get taken and companies lie about their results or don’t provide complete explanations. Keep it under wraps so no one really knows.
Sadly, this continues the cycle of fear and paranoia that infects many at high levels around the world as we eye each other suspiciously, rather than recognizing our shared humanity. We demonize others to emotionally beat on them. It doesn’t have to be that way.