A large technological power may be able to mobilise its economy and uncrewed force without mobilising much of its population. This can make conflict feel like an advanced war game whose losses are measured mainly in replaceable equipment. If leaders and the public no longer perceive battle as dangerous or socially costly, the traditional warning that even victory carries a terrible price can fade. An apparently affordable war can then invite choices that would have been rejected if casualties, taxes, or mass mobilisation were immediately visible. The paradox is that societies may value life more highly while becoming less cautious about beginning a conflict they expect machines to absorb.
Notable Point · 20:22-26:19
Machine-only war can look deceptively affordable
A war that mobilises machines and money rather than people can appear nearly risk-free, weakening the political restraint that normally precedes combat.