Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
I can't quibble with the picture you paint, but I feel there is corner missing from the canvas.

I don't see the Nagl versus Gentile argument as being constructive or even accurate, but...

However, there are a number of positions and ideas promoted and advocated by the Post modern COIN Avant garde, that have to be challenged.

Some are merely eccentric opinions, but others are just plain stupid. It is extremely doubtful that anything written on COIN, since 2003, is original or even useful, other than to re-state insights that already existed. You can make the US army a much better army, without ever mentioning the words HIC or COIN, and that is the approach that I favour, should anyone ask.
I think we may be arguing past each other Wilf. I agree with what you say, I just wanted to address why the debate exists in the first place and what aspects of military culture and doctrine have lead to the belief that COIN and HIC and any other form of warfare are not interchangeable. My conclusion is that certain failings in how we conduct all levels of combat have a greater recognizable effect on our ability to conduct COIN and other LICs then they appear have on our HIC ability, though I suspect this is false as well. Have I completely confused you yet?
Reed