Just got back from the Law and War conference at Notre Dame. It was a fine conference, but by far the most valuable (and fun) experience for me was the opportunity to befriend Martin Van Creveld. He's a voracious intellect and an absolute joy to interact with (my definition of joy). No wonder he is one of the best strategic thinkers alive today.
The missed opportunity was that we didn't record some of our conversations -- on the decline of the state, the future of warfare, and resilient communities -- so that they could be shared with a larger audience (although I have a new and quite amazing high def Flip video recorder, courtesy of my tremendous parents, the venues were never right to set it up).
Until I figure out how to do that, I am going to spend some quality time with his new book, "The Culture of War." NOTE: I think his exploration of "identity/primarily loyalties" within warlike groups will mesh nicely with my exploration of the economics of small group warfare.