Strategy

I would be a terrible foot soldier, and worse tactical leader. I can remain in touch with obvious common sense realities, sometimes, for long periods of time. But sometimes, I am just in my own world. What everyone else sees clearly is invisible to me, and what I see is invisible to everyone else. This can be great for theoreticians, but would likely be deadly where accurate, fast, and consistently good assessments need to be made.

Pondering, though, I do think I would be a good advisor to someone with their feet on the ground, but capable of looking up.

And it occurs to me, thinking through my Sun Tzu, that the greatest victories are the least glorious. An effective strategy demand little heroism, little death, little fighting. If you attack your enemies plans, no blows are dealt ( speaking abstractly, although this might involve strategic attacks on provisions, money, supply routes, or physical violence aimed at morale), but you might still win.

The North Vietnamese lost every major battle they fought with America, some–like the first Tet–grievously.  But their intent was merely to remain apparently viable until they could get the Jane Fonda’s and John Kerry’s of our world to help them win the propaganda war. Once they did that, the tank led march into the South was relatively easy. The South knew it had been abandoned by its closest ally, and felt little taste for sustained battle. So I recall the history, although I have not studied the last phase of the war: our ignominious and disastrous retreat after having secured military victory.

What can Trump do to attack Kim Jung IL’s will to fight? I dont know, but it is a great question.