The Story of Orde Wingate and the Lesson for Today-Development of the Night Squads

The short story on Orde Wingage is that he encouraged the Jewish settlers in Israel to form “night squads”. 

 Previous to Wingate the Jews where merely playing defense.   When roving Arab gangs came by they would commit crimes against the Jews they would then escape into the night.  When the British authorities would arrive they would simply disarm the Israelis and of course since the Arabs had dissappeared like a fart in the wind they would not be disarmed.  Thus the game was being played in such a way that the Israelis would eventually be eroded away. 

Wingate encouraged the Jews to take the game to the Arab gangs.  The night squads would go out and enforce a type of law.  Some of the less imaginative might call it vigilante. As I can put myself in their place I call it survival.   By executing those Arab gang members that perpetrated the crimes they finally started making the raids on Jewish settlements cost something.  This is the only way you can deal with a gang.  You have to hit them hard.  You must kill them.  Otherwise the payoff is just too great to pass up.

Fast forward till today.  Prior to 9-11 we used the law enforcement approach.  Arab gangs were operated against us in multiple attacks.  This is an almost identical analog to the approach of waiting in the kibbutz for the roving Arab gang to attack.  Its a suboptimal way to play the game.  It leads only to a steady erosion.

Then, after 9-11 we started taking the game to the Islamists. And it appears things have gotten measurably better.  We’re no longer on defense.  Gangs only understand force.  Gangs to not respond to nice-talk.  If we ever return to the law enforcement model you can expect bad results.