{"product_id":"protoalgorithmic-war-how-the-iraq-war-became-a-laboratory-for-algorithmic-logics-9783031042188","title":"Proto-Algorithmic War: How the Iraq War became a laboratory for algorithmic logics","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eThe Iraq War was not a digital game, but the US military policy was rooted in the logic of digital and algorithmic technology. This book explores the emergence of a nascent algorithmic war culture in the context of the Iraq War, comparing it to the British Mandate for Iraq (1918-1932). It suggests that the digitization and unmanned automaton of war are parallel processes, with the military attempting to see population and territory as digital and proto-algorithmic entities. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 180 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 17 July 2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Springer International Publishing AG\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring the Iraq War, American soldiers were dispatched to both engage in combat with an adversary and to restore a \"failed state\" in pixelated camouflage uniforms, accompanied by robots, and armed with satellite maps and biometric hand-held scanners. However, the Iraq War was far from a digital spectacle: the immense scale of physical death and destruction starkly contradicts the notion of a clean, replayable war. The United States' military policy, rather than the actual experience of war, has been deeply entrenched in the logic of digital and emerging algorithmic technology. This logic aimed to reduce culture, society, the physical body, and the environment into visual data devoid of cultural and historical context.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book delves into the emergence of a nascent algorithmic war culture during the Iraq War (2003-2010) in the context of the data-driven early 20th-century British Mandate for Iraq. Through a series of five inquiries into the ways in which the Iraq War attempted to and often failed to perceive population and territory as digital and further proto-algorithmic entities, it provides insight into the digitization and further unmanned automaton of war. This exploration is conducted through a comparative historical framework, spanning back to the quantification techniques employed during the British Mandate for Iraq (1918-1932), to elucidate the parallels and intricate complexities between the numerical logics that have propelled both military state-building endeavors.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first inquiry examines the Iraq War's attempts to quantify and categorize the Iraqi population, focusing on the deployment of demographic surveys and the creation of population maps. Despite the technological advancements of the time, these efforts often encountered challenges, such as inaccurate data collection and the politicization of demographic information. The second inquiry explores the Iraq War's reliance on satellite imagery and aerial surveillance to monitor and control territory. While these technologies provided valuable intelligence, they also raised concerns about privacy, surveillance, and the potential for unintended consequences. The third inquiry examines the use of biometric hand-held scanners and other advanced technologies to identify and track individuals in the battlefield. These devices promised to enhance situational awareness and reduce casualties, but they also raised ethical questions about the collection and use of personal data. The fourth inquiry explores the Iraq War's attempts to automate military operations through the use of robots and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). While these technologies offered significant advantages in terms of precision and efficiency, they also highlighted the limitations of human decision-making and the ethical implications of delegating combat tasks to machines. The fifth inquiry examines the broader cultural and societal implications of the Iraq War's algorithmic approach to warfare. The war's reliance on data-driven decision-making and the dehumanization of the enemy created a new kind of warfare that blurred the lines between combatants and civilians. This shift also raised questions about the role of technology in shaping military strategy and the responsibilities of military personnel in ensuring that ethical and humanitarian considerations are taken into account.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn conclusion, the Iraq War serves as a poignant example of the complex interplay between technology, warfare, and society. The war's embrace of digital and algorithmic technologies aimed to enhance efficiency and precision, but it also exposed the limitations and ethical implications of such approaches. This book offers a valuable insight into the emergence of a nascent algorithmic war culture and its implications for the future of warfare. By examining the parallels between the Iraq War and the British Mandate for Iraq, it sheds light on the historical roots of the military's reliance on data-driven decision-making and highlights the need for a more nuanced and ethical approach to warfare.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 374g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 153 x 216 x 18 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9783031042188\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEdition number\u003c\/strong\u003e: 1st ed. 2022\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stefka Hristova","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44103216627962,"sku":"9783031042188","price":93.93,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1660952025210_book.jpg?v=1661359355","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/protoalgorithmic-war-how-the-iraq-war-became-a-laboratory-for-algorithmic-logics-9783031042188","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}