Quote Originally Posted by wm View Post
Bear, You may be right that no deliberate application of risk analysis is being applied. However, I am not so sure that what is happening is dogmatic. I believe (and am supported by a fair amount of research reported in the safety engineering literature) that each individual has a different level of risk tolerance/risk aversion. (I do not really want to get sidetracked into a nature/nurture argument and discuss whether this is innate or acquired.) Having differing levels of risk tolerance suggests we also have different needs and, therefore, techniques for risk mitigation. Compare, for example, Montgomery's and Patton's campaigns in N. Africa and the WWII ETO. I submit the action to mitigate risk occurs almost reflexively rather than deliberately and, therefore, is not dogmatic.
Thanks for the clarification. I understand now you were looking at this from a different view point and agree with your example that it is reflexive vs deliberate. When I refer to dogma my “vs” is as in “dogma vs doctrine”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5c3yMy-llA dogma vs doctrine starts at about 2:07
In my mind, doctrine is a teaching, it is written down and can be read and learned. Dogma is an opinion. For example, in many general officer speeches, especially when talking about counter insurgency or counter terrorism, they use the terms Laws of War and Rule of Law interchangeably when they are separate and very different (at least in my opinion). For example: In both below cases these general officers are talking about war and combat and they can’t resist tying it back to the Rule of Law.
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/wp-c...2009-09-11.pdf
http://www.hughhewitt.com/the-haditha-investigation/
Soldiers and Marines are governed by their Rules of Engagement on the battlefield and ROEs are based on the Laws of War. In COIN operations, one of the reasons combat troops are present is that there is no rule of law. For a military general officer to think (and apply) the Rule of Law and the Law of War is the same thing...is dogma. In almost every one of the US “war crime” cases, US servicemen are not charged with violating their Rules of Engagement; they are charged with murder and the elements of proof that they must defend against, are for the same elements of proof used in the Rule of Law charges of murder.
http://warchronicle.com/DefendOurMar...ar_6SEPT10.htm
Is this a reflex reaction to the loss of strategic legitimacy (Abu Grab)? Probably. Is it the right reflexive reaction…No… but it is an indicator of bad strategy.