Freshly printed: Pussycats!

05/24/2020By Redaktion

Books Irregulärer Krieg Martin van Creveld Media

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In the kingdoms of the West, something is rotten, says military historian Martin van Creveld as he presents his new book. "Pussycats" was the English title, in German it was released as "We Weicheier":

NATO countries account for two-thirds of global military spending together. When it comes to military technology - especially in electronics, communication and logistics - they have outstripped the rest of the world to such an extent that it is no longer a race at all. Nevertheless, almost every time they have gone out to fight non-Westerners since the end of the Korean War in 1953, they were defeated and had to retreat without achieving their goals. This happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, to name two current examples, and it will happen when Islam continues to spread further into Europe, as it is doing right now.

What went wrong? How did the fierce warriors who virtually controlled the whole world between 1492 and 1914 turn into pussycats? Readers of my website are familiar with some previous attempts to answer this question; these answers have now been expanded and brought together in a new book.

Chapter 1 is titled "The Subjugation of the Young" and focuses on describing how Western society raises its sparse offspring. They are monitored and protected at every step; any kind of independence is taken away from them; they are forcefully prevented from growing up; and if they refuse to sit quietly for long hours in order to drive out their adulthood, they are pathologized and doused with Ritalin (which incidentally is closely related to cocaine, purely by chance). In short, in the words of an American bestseller, they are made into "excellent sheep."

Chapter 2, "The Emasculation of the Army," shows how the same thing happens to the military. Troops can and have repeatedly been sent to the other side of the world to kill someone - and to be killed in return. No matter which army you may be thinking of now, they still do not have permission to go out after 2300, drink a beer, wear the uniform in public (because they could become a target for terrorists), consume pornography (because it could hurt the sensitive souls of their female comrades), or even visit a brothel. In short: they are not allowed to be men. And clearly, it is not understood that proving one's masculinity is one of the most important factors that allows soldiers to fight.

“What went wrong? How did the fierce warriors who virtually controlled the whole world between 1492 and 1914 turn into pussycats?”

The chapter "The War Against Men" examines how the armed forces are feminized and how this affects their combat effectiveness. Theoretically, female and male soldiers are treated as equally as they should be. In reality, the former are often privileged. "Gender normalization" means, first and foremost, that the standards required of female soldiers in their training, courses, and tests are lower than those of men, with the predictable result that everyone's training suffers. Second, when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth, female soldiers enjoy privileges that men do not have. Third, various factors have led to the fact that in some armies it is now easier for women to become officers - with all the advantages that brings. And the further removed from the service at the weapon, the more accurate this is. But the worst thing is: although everyone knows these facts, no one is allowed to mention them, not even unconsciously; this means that the entire military is based on a lie so big that its foundations are undermined.

Chapter 4, "The Construction of PTSD," deals with the history of post-traumatic stress disorder." PTSD, which emerged suddenly during the American Civil War, is less a medical than a cultural phenomenon. It is the product of a society that tolerates and all too often promotes and celebrates it. This happens because the idea prevails that war is bad for the soul and the latter is seen as almost an immutable truth; and partly because of the fear of litigation. Whatever the cause may be, it has come to the point where American troops returning from Afghanistan are now required to undergo an annual PTSD examination. Instead of celebrating their heroes, society treats them like damaged goods and does everything to humiliate them.

Chapter 5 describes the rise of modern society, which, by expanding rights but forgetting about duties, has come pretty close to delegitimizing war itself. Especially in Europe, the use of armed forces for any purpose, be it self-defense or to correct wrongs, has almost become a complete taboo. Expressing pride or even joy in their profession has become nearly intolerable for soldiers.

In the end, we collectively explain the main problems again. We show that if Donald Trump wants to fulfill his promise to "rebuild the military," he will have his hands full.

Like all my books, Pussycats (German title: "We Weicheier") is written in a way that everyone can understand what I mean. At the same time, it is documented in the way the academic would wish. Well, brave readers, take a look.

""We Weicheier" by Martin van Creveld, Graz 2017, 224 pages, Euro, 19,–

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MARTIN VAN CREVELD, one of the leading military historians of the present, was born in Holland in 1946. Since 1950 he has lived in Israel. He studied at the London School of Economics and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he has been a professor of history since 1971. Books include: "Combat Power," "Faces of War," "The Sword and the Olive," "The Rise and Decline of the State,"... He also works as a military consultant and lecturer throughout the Western world.