Quote Originally Posted by wm View Post
...I submit that no battle/operation/campaign goes at it was planned to...
I would suggest that as a cliche of military activities the "No plan withstands contact with the enemy - Helmut von Moltke" line should be excised with extreme prejudice.

First, it by reference it suggests there really is no point in planning. I'm not going to believe that planning has no place and I think the cliche comes from large battle formation high intensity warfare where communication was limited. I like dead Prussian writers as much as the next guy but the over use of homilies erodes the discussion as much as religious pandering and zealotry would.

Second, it is to often used as an excuse or a sideways attack against discussing strategy. It gets trotted out anytime somebody wants to shut somebody else up working through a set of strategies.

Third, we have high speed, high density, high reliability communications and it is a matter of fact that broad intentions can have as much relevance to planning while relying on technology for coordination. Mogadishu swarm attacks anybody?

WM I don't think you were trying to use that trite cliche as overly broad but I have noticed it getting trotted out more and more lately. I think that the meaning of it has been lost and it has become a stop sign for debate. Cliches can often take on new meanings that were never intended.