The ten tenets listed below
mix thoughts on war, strategy, and bargaining. They will shape the mindset of strategists and prepare them to embrace the principles of BT/NT by being a guide, easing the way, training the judgment, and helping strategists avoid the pitfalls of forgetting that conflict is costly and risky and absolute victory is unrealistic.
1. Many victories have and will be suicide to the victor.
2. War is continuous bargaining through action and words.
3. War is an extension of policy, which subordinates war‟s violence and creativity.
4. Strategy is a continuous process of understanding, shaping, and adapting that uniquely connects force to policy, for a continuing advantage.
5. Strategy must be efficient and tailored and it is formed by asking the right questions.
6. Force is the more costly and risky way to change policy or reallocate resources.
7. Employing less force than is required to win absolutely can be a viable short cut or a possible trap.
8. Words and actions reveal information about you, your enemy, the environment, and the nature and direction of the conflict…so constantly listen and reframe the problem and strategy accordingly.
9. Be persistent in pursuing your interests, but not rigid in pursuing any particular solution.
10. The post conflict leaders must have had a say in the bargain and seat at the table regardless of which side it was on.
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