Even today (and back when Dune was written), modern military tech is invincible to an enemy below a level of sophistication. The US used to hammer insurgents wi

Even today (and back when Dune was written), modern military tech is invincible to an enemy below a level of sophistication. The US used to hammer insurgents with Predator drones who had no ability to retaliate. This playbook has only flipped due to a lot of cheap tech (and the machinery to make them) coming in uncotrollably to these countries has put them on a much more equal playing field. Since the Guild controls what comes in, they can avoid this scenario from happening. They can control who can have what, and who can make what. Which I think is one of the true, deep explanations of why military tech in Dune is so weird and inefficient - essentially the efficiency and power of a weapon is dictated by how much the Guild charges for shipping them if they allow you to, at all. Which is how you end up with dudes with swords. It gives an idea of the level of technology in the universe that you can equip said dude with a nigh-impenetrable shield that fits in a belt buckle. I guess that's the result of optimizing for Guild transit fees, not real-world power. Really it's not exactly a novel idea, but as I think more about it, it's uncanny how Dune (at least initially) is basically the fantasy Suez crisis and what followed. It explores the power dynamics very well, how factions can hold humanity hostage without firing a single shot, and how what they don't bother controlling comes to bite them in the ass. > How could anyone wage war like this? The defenders will always outnumber the attackers. Which is exactly what ends up happening, but it does take a bunch of extraordinary events.