Richard,
> Mercenaries were warfare artists.

<Wrong.> - this is your opinion.

However, I must admit I don't currently have a convincing enough evidence to offer as proof.
There was a change in the 'mercenaryship' from the Ancient times, to Renaissance, to early Modern, and beyond (at least in Europe and Ottoman Empire) that seems to point from a tribal 'leasing' of a portion of its population for warfare, to being itinerant warrior sub-culture, to an international professional commodity. This transition in turn became more individual-based, and as far as I'm concerned, skill and expereince based, offering Art of War expertise to leaders rather than just a body of troops to fill a gap in the line.

<Mercenaries were - and are - *profit* artists.>
It seems to me you confuse military and taxation accounting professionals :-)
I would be interested to see some historical evidence rather than Traveller rules as evidence.
The etymology of 'mercenary' is misleading.

<Actually having to fight [and take the concommitant casualties] in

order receive remuneration represents a degree of *failure* on the

part of their business model.>

My suggestion is that you read the rest of the Dorsai books. The Dorsai were a population of a sparsely populated world not otherwise known as being resource-rich or attractive to tourists. Its wealth was in its for-hire professional military.

If being a professional soldier included thinking there is a commitment to take casualties, we would have had lasting peace for the past 4,000 years, and the Dorsai would not have an Economy.

 

"Sound tactics, extensive training, and careful planning will win a great victory when they are accompanied by an unwavering determination to inflict—and accept—losses." (Hughes), but ideally professionalism expects 0 mistakes, and every casualty is a mistake. The point of the Tactics of Mistake is that one entices the enemy to make all the mistakes before the shooting even starts.

 

Greg


On 21 June 2015 at 13:41, Richard Aiken <raikenclw@gmail.com> wrote:
On 6/20/15, Greg Chalik <mrg3105@gmail.com> wrote:
> Richard, technology is just tool use.

[looking for the banana which should accompany this "educational" comment . . .]

> However, tool use is necessitated by
> the 'art' of the tool user, the creative capacity. This includes inventing
> new tools, or using existing tools in new ways.

[still looking . . .]

> Mercenaries were warfare artists.

Wrong.

Mercenaries were - and are - *profit* artists.

Actually having to fight [and take the concommitant casualties] in
order receive renumeration represents a degree of *failure* on the
part of their business model.

--
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein
"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the
advice." - Bill Cosby
"We know a little about a lot of things; just enough to make us dangerous."
Dean Winchester
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