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The Insurgent’s Dilemma: A Struggle To Prevail

2313.000

Considers why, when most insurgencies fail, some nonetheless work–and why they work so well.

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Author David H. Ucko
ISBN 9781787385658
Published Language English
Publication Year 2021
Publisher C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Binding Hardback
Original Price £30
Pages 328
Ships By 2-3 days
SKU: HC-142 Categories: ,

Description

Despite attracting headlines and hype, insurgents rarely win. Even when they claim territory and threaten governmental writ, they typically face a military backlash too powerful to withstand. States struggle with addressing the political roots of such movements, and their military efforts mostly just ‘mow the grass’; yet, for the insurgent, the grass is nonetheless mowed–and the armed project must start over. This is the insurgent’s dilemma: the difficulty of asserting oneself, of violently challenging authority, and of establishing sustainable power.

In the face of this dilemma, some insurgents are learning new ways to ply their trade. With subversion, spin and disinformation claiming centre stage, insurgency is being reinvented, to exploit the vulnerabilities of our times and gain new strategic salience for tomorrow. As the most promising approaches are refined and repurposed, what we think of as counterinsurgency will also need to change.

The Insurgent’s Dilemma explores three particularly adaptive strategies and their implications for response. These emerging strategies target the state where it is weak and sap its power, sometimes without it noticing. There are options for response, but fresh thinking is urgently needed–about society, legitimacy and political violence itself.

Additional information

Author

ISBN

Published Language

Publication Year

Publisher

Binding

Original Price

Pages

328

Ships By

2-3 days