Geo-Strategy #6: America's Imperial Hubris

In his Wednesday, May 22 class, Jiang Xueqin explains to his Chinese high school students the strengths and weaknesses of the American military doctrine "Shock and Awe":

In 2003, the American military used a revolutionary military doctrine called "Shock and Awe" in its Operation Iraqi Freedom. "Shock and Awe" combined American air supremacy, technological omniscience, and special forces into a deadly package that won the war in three weeks, with less than 200 American casualties.

This new doctrine is ultimately a response to the failures of the Vietnam War, in which 58,000 Americans died over eight years. "Shock and Awe" permits America to fights wars quickly, cheaply, and decisively, which avoids public outrage, media scrutiny, and political flip-flopping. As such, "Shock and Awe" is not just a theory of war -- it's ultimately a theory of empire. America can now covertly defend its empire everywhere and anywhere.

But "Shock and Awe" also means that America is over-committed, is lacking in strategic discipline, and is overcome with hubris. This may lead America to head into a disaster of its own making.