Rules of Chivalry for Nuclear War

Preface and EXORTIUM

The Abusive Exhortation

ALL RIGHT, YOU IGNORANT CLODS! You Brood of Vipers, You English and Irish, Philistines and Barbarians, Bolivians and Chileans, Hutus and Tutsi, Chinese and Tibetans, Indians and Pakistanis, Hindus and Muslims, Christians and Muslims, Basques and Spanish, Turks and Greeks, Americans and opponents du jour, Croats and Serbs, Portuguese and Spanish, Protestants and Catholics, Vietnamese and Cambodians, French and Algerians, Russians and Finns, Arabs and Jews, Skin-heads and Militia, Ku Klux Klan and Blacks, Iraq and Iran, Cubans and Americans, North and South Koreans, Japanese and Russians, Japanese and Chinese, Japanese and Americans, Buddhists and Sir Lankan Authorities, South East Asian Pirates, Cowboys and Indians, Damn Yankees and Southerners, Mafia and Police, English and Argentines, Capitalists and Workers, Renters and Landlords, Somali’s and Congolese, Serbs and Croatians, Brahmins and Untouchables, Haves and Have-nots, Farmers and Ranchers, Gang Members and Interlopers, Hunters and Animal Lovers, Meat Eaters and Vegetarians, Men and Women, Boys and Girls (if I have left anyone out, I apologize).

You are ALL wrong! You are wrong because you do not know how to fight, and you are fouling up our beautiful world.

SHAPE UP and CHANGE YOUR WAYS!

Make the crooked ways straight and the rough smooth! You deserve essentially the same warning that the vigilante committee gave Jack Slade: “If you do not change your actions right now, there is going to be hell to pay!”

(Ref: See Chapter on Slade in Roughing It by Mark Twain)

It is the intent of this manuscript to expose you to a slightly different way of fighting than has been demonstrated by your friends in the recent past and to convince you that there is a better way to fight. I have decided to name this way the somewhat awkward title “The Rules of Chivalry for Nuclear War” (The ROCNWAR).

As a foundation and background, I intend to tell you a little about myself, present a few definitions that I hope will be useful, and tell you about some of the warriors I have known (they influenced me, and describing them helps explain how I developed many of these strange ideas). I will also:

Make a few comments on why and how we fight, with some comments on the weapons of war and the characteristics of the ideal warrior.

Present a short discussion of the Three-to-One rule of tactics, because I plan to use a variation as a critical part of the proposed rules of chivalry.

List the requirement specifications for the ROCNWAR. In other words, what should the proposed rules accomplish?

Present the proposed rules and present a few examples of how the rules might be used.

I have called the proposed rules “The Rules of Chivalry for Nuclear War” (ROCNWAR) to indicate that the rules are intended to include all levels of human conflict, but, of course, it is hoped that adoption of the rules will facilitate the resolution of conflicts at lower levels so that escalation to nuclear war will not be necessary.

I recognize that the phrase “‘Rules of Chivalry for Nuclear War” presents a problem for Arabs. If they wish they can substitute the phrase “Rules of Jihad for Nuclear War” as long as the same principles are applied.

I will try to explain that we should not try to prevent war but rather to promote more and better “small” wars conducted in accordance with mutually recognized rules of engagement. I shall try to convince you that self-restrained fighting is not necessarily abhorrent behavior that should be regarded as regrettable violence arising from either our innate character flaws or undesirable social conditions (repressive control by the authorities or the lack of social controls) but is instead the foundation of civilization.

I suggest that better laws will not result in universal peace. Improved customs concerning the way we fight may result in a slightly better world. To this end, I will present some proposed requirements for the ROCNWAR, a set of possible rules, and some fictional scenarios showing how the rules might be used.