Original Proposal – Future Peace: Technology, Aggression, and the Rush to War by Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Latiff

[johnkarls]

Originally Posted by johnkarls » Sat Apr 23, 2022 2:19 pm – 414 views in Sec. 3 (Possible Topics for Future Meetings) before being transplanted here


I propose that we read “Future Peace: Technology, Aggression, and the Rush to War” by Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Latiff (U/Notre Dame Press 3/1/2022 – 137 pages sans notes & index – Hardcover $17.99 + shipping or $16.49 Kindle from Amazon.com).

NB: The NYC Harvard Club will be presenting Wed Apr 27 at 5:00 - 6:00 pm MDT a Zoom webinar featuring Gen. Latiff presenting his new book and then answering questions from participants.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, I CAN REGISTER 3 GUESTS.


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The NYC Harvard Club Notice --

War using AI, Cyber and Other Advanced Weapons – Playing out in Russia and the Ukraine? Robert Latiff: ZOOM

Wednesday, April 27 @ 07:00 pm – 08:00 pm ET

Major General (Ret) Robert H. Latiff returns virtually to the Harvard Club with a timely discussion on the need for extreme caution in the adoption of new weapons technology, their use in the Russia Ukraine conflict, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence and cyber. His new book Future Peace: Technology, Aggression, and the Rush to War is an impassioned plea for peace. After spending decades preparing for war – as shared in Future War – he makes a strong case against complacency.

He believes that we, the general public, just are not familiar enough with the highly networked autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced weapons that are relied on by the military – but that we still see these as the bread and butter of science fiction writers. Technologies abet the many provocations to violence, so how do we mitigate both dangerous human and technical behaviors?

Latiff concludes that peace is possible but will require intense, cooperative efforts on the part of technologists, military leaders, diplomats, politicians, and citizens. He provides far-, mid-, and short-term recommendations for necessary actions. What is happening in the world today should serve as a wake up call – as citizens we need to be better informed.

Major General (Ret.) Robert H. Latiff is adjunct professor with the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values at the University of Notre Dame and research professor at George Mason University.

“General Latiff writes with insight about the public belief that new weapons technology will allow us to prevail in any future conflict and how this belief inevitably leads to an increase in the likelihood of war. Future Peace is a book that should be read by US security officials and all members of Congress.” —William J. Perry, former United States Secretary of Defense

The webinar will be live on Zoom. A link will be sent out on the day of the event.
Please visit this page within a day to view the recording that will be available for 7 days.

Nermin Ahmad, Co-Chair Program Committee


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Book Description per Amazon.com (from the dust jacket)

Future Peace urges extreme caution in the adoption of new weapons technology and is an impassioned plea for peace from an individual who spent decades preparing for war.

Today’s militaries are increasingly reliant on highly networked autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced weapons that were previously the domain of science fiction writers. In a world where these complex technologies clash with escalating international tensions, what can we do to decrease the chances of war? In Future Peace, the eagerly awaited sequel to Future War, Robert H. Latiff questions our overreliance on technology and examines the pressure-cooker scenario created by the growing animosity between the United States and its adversaries, our globally deployed and thinly stretched military, the capacity for advanced technology to catalyze violence, and the American public’s lack of familiarity with these topics.

Future Peace describes the many provocations to violence and how technologies are abetting those urges, and it explores what can be done to mitigate not only dangerous human behaviors but also dangerous technical behaviors. Latiff concludes that peace is possible but will require intense, cooperative efforts on the part of technologists, military leaders, diplomats, politicians, and citizens. Future Peace amplifies some well-known ideas about how to address the issues, and provides far-, mid-, and short-term recommendations for actions that are necessary to reverse the apparent headlong rush into conflict. This compelling and timely book will captivate general readers, students, and scholars of global affairs, international security, arms control, and military ethics.


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Author Bio

Robert H. Latiff grew up in rural southeastern Kentucky. He attended the University of Notre Dame on an Army scholarship and received a B.S. in physics. Offered a research grant by the National Science Foundation, he stayed at Notre Dame and earned an M.S. and PhD in materials science. He is also a graduate of the National Security Fellows Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Major General in 2006. His last active-duty assignment was at the National Reconnaissance Office where he directed advanced research, development, and engineering. He has also served as the commander of the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center.

Dr. Latiff now teaches, and speaks and writes frequently about issues of technology and war. He is also a consultant, providing advice on advanced technology matters to corporate and government clients and to universities.

Dr. Latiff is an Adjunct Faculty Member and chairs the external advisory board of the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values at the University of Notre Dame and is also a Research Professor at George Mason University, with interests primarily in technologies to support the U.S. Intelligence Community.

He is a member of the Intelligence Community Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Committee on International Security and Arms Control of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

General Latiff is a recipient of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal and the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal.


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Editorial Reviews per Amazon.com

“General Latiff writes with insight about the public belief that new weapons technology will allow us to prevail in any future conflict and how this belief inevitably leads to an increase in the likelihood of war. Future Peace is a book that should be read by US security officials and all members of Congress.”
―William J. Perry, United States Secretary of Defense (1994–1997)

“Complacency rather than war weariness may well be the principal product of our recent ‘forever wars.’ Robert Latiff’s excellent Future Peace offers an antidote to that complacency, calling attention to the multifaceted dangers inherent in rapid advances in military technology. Americans ignore his timely warning at their peril.”
―Andrew Bacevich, author of After the Apocalypse

“This is a learned, deep, yet broadly accessible overview of one of the most important national security and public policy topics of the twenty-first century. Major General Robert Latiff, USAF, is one of the world’s leading thinkers about the interrelationship between war, technology, and ethics.”
―Michael C. Desch, author of Cult of the Irrelevant

"This book draws attention to the increasing reliance on technology and advanced weaponry in warfare, which can circumvent human decision making and expedite war before diplomacy and the human element has time to prevent it."
―Veterans Today

"Militaries globally are becoming more dangerously automated, with many decisions being turned over to machines. In this much-anticipated follow-up to his 2017 book, Future War, Latiff . . . warns that we aren’t paying enough attention to the growing influence that artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems are having on the strategy and conduct of war."
―Notre Dame Magazine

[johnkarls]

Originally Posted by johnkarls » Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:21 am


The description of “Future Peace” from the book’s “dust jacket” implies that new weapons themselves will start wars –

(1) Beginning of the description’s first paragraph – “Future Peace urges extreme caution in the adoption of new weapons technology…..”

(2) Second sentence of the second paragraph – “In a world where these complex technologies clash with escalating international tensions, what can we do to decrease the chances of war?”

(3) Third sentence of the second paragraph – “…..Robert H. Latiff questions…..the capacity for advanced technology to catalyze violence…..”

(4) First sentence of the third paragraph – “Future Peace describes the many provocations to violence and how technologies are abetting those urges…..”

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Accordingly, Yours Truly submitted the following questions for Gen. Latiff during the 4/27/2022 NYC Harvard Club webinar described in the Original Proposal above –

“Wasn’t Pax Americana extended for at least 30 years by the Arab-Israeli War of 1967 which proved that American weapons were superior to Russian weapons? If so, won’t surrendering American-weapons superiority jeopardize world peace?”

In order to be fair to Gen. Latiff, his answer ver batim was --

“If I came across as suggesting that we surrender American-weapons superiority, then I made the wrong implication. I would never suggest anything like that. I was merely suggesting that we be very careful in basing our entire military strategy on technological superiority. Using weapons should always be the last resort, not the first resort. Diplomacy and arms control and the like are far more important. And so no, I do not mean to imply we should give up our superiority. And we always have been good as a nation and wonderful technologists and we should continue that.”