A must read-essay by Ron Pickrell I found over at Free Republic on the Grand Strategy of the War on Terror. The author began by discussing the various hypothetical responses a President Gore might have had to the 9/11 attacks.
The key in warfare is not to find the path to victory. This is the view of the short-sighted, who never will understand that no battle plan or strategy ever survives first contact with the enemy. Contact exposes the current mindset of the enemy commander through his actions, the dedication of his troops, and the true constraints that he must operate under. They define what you face and must overcome, in order to force your will upon the enemy.
Therefore the key to warfare is not to find the path to victory. It is instead, "...to arrange and prepare the starting point so that all paths lead to victory..."
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