What if the problem isn’t that we misunderstand war—but that the frameworks we use to understand it are broken?

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Zweibelson—veteran, theorist, and design troublemaker—for a deep dive into his massive new book Reconceptualizing War. This isn’t about doctrine tweaks or buzzword bingo. Ben takes a sledgehammer to the foundations, arguing that modern military thinking is stuck in rigid, outdated paradigms that can’t explain how war really works.

We talk about how childhood art projects shaped his career, why veterans struggle with identity, and what happens when you tell your boss in Kabul that their beloved center of gravity is nonsense. From Clausewitz to Sun Tzu, Marx to Mao, Ben tears into war theory with philosophical tools most strategists are too scared to touch.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. If you're tired of the same recycled thinking, you’ll want to hear this.

Ben’s Work

Reconceptualizing War – https://amzn.to/4jFUZZY

Twitter - https://x.com/BZweibelson

More from Underground Strategy

Discover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7

Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com

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