A military historian, commenting on the alleged “historical truth” that there has never yet been a weapon against which man has been unable to devise a counterweapon or a defense, reminds us that “after five centuries of the use of hand arms with fire-propelled missiles . . . no adequate answer has yet been found for the bullet” (Bernard Brodie, The Absolute Weapon [New York, 1946], pp. 30–31).

QUESTION: Does this still hold given modern body armor and active protection systems? The claim dates to 1946 and may be dated.

Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, loc. 834