A question for the game theorists

[Dayuhan]

Can the problem be solved by killing those who are killing civilians and soldiers? (YES/NO)
If YES, then do it.
If NO, then it's not a military problem, and the military should not be part of he solution.

Usually the answer is somewhere between yes and no. Killing some of those who are fighting may be necessary to create the space needed to address the cause of the fight... but if you create the space without addressing the cause, sooner or later that space dries up.

To me it's like treating a patient with a high fever caused by an infection. The fever is a symptom but it's an immediate danger and it has to be treated. The underlying infection that caused the fever also has to be treated. Treating the symptom can give you the space you need to treat the cause, but if you don't treat the cause the symptomatic treatment will ultimately fail.

There are also tasks that we simply can't accomplish. We might be able to send troops to Somalia or Afghanistan to defeat a particular group that we see as a threat. Sending troops to Somalia or Afghanistan to establish a stable functioning central government is like asking a team of ace physicians to reanimate a corpse. They may be really good at what they do, but there are still things they cannot do.

[slapout9]

Cross post to war gaming small wars,link discusses BP board game and it's relevance to the current situation in the Gulf.



http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...430#post102430

[William F. Owen]

Usually the answer is somewhere between yes and no. Killing some of those who are fighting may be necessary to create the space needed to address the cause of the fight... but if you create the space without addressing the cause, sooner or later that space dries up.

Concur

There are also tasks that we simply can't accomplish. We might be able to send troops to Somalia or Afghanistan to defeat a particular group that we see as a threat. Sending troops to Somalia or Afghanistan to establish a stable functioning central government is like asking a team of ace physicians to reanimate a corpse. They may be really good at what they do, but there are still things they cannot do.

Concur again. Military force only works when its used against military force to support a policy. Just applying force in isolation, never works.

[slapout9]

Don't why I didn't think of this guy before,but here is his game theory on the future on Iran.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/b..._s_future.html

Also I posted a paper on politics and game theory from the Air Force but cannot remember the name anyway it is the Strategy that the republicans are using against President Obama and it is working!!!!!!all the Republicans have to do is make him fail on one or more of his polices and the Republicans will win the elections, they don't have to offer any solutions just make him fail. Much of the game theory used in the paper was done be de Mesquita.