Your refinements are noted but they change nothing of consequence to what I said originally -- purposely omitting Viet Nam to avoid just such a diversion -- so what are we doing? Angels? Pin?

You are BTW incorrect on the 1968-72 iterations caused later problems. That course had been set in 1965. Thank LBJ and RSM plus terribly flawed personnel policies. The 69-72 stuff was simply the sprouting of the 65-68 seeds. The 1975-85 Army was involved with removing the deadwood left.

Unlike you, I had no feet in either party in 1968 -- or ever; both are totally venal, corrupt and more concerned with self than the nation so I support neither -- but this isn't a political blog so the jury will ignore that statement. I may have missed something here in the States in 1968, I was occupied elsewhere. I was here in 1967 and again in 1969. Our recollections apparently differ and that could be due to that lapse of presence on my part or to residing in different parts of the nation. Regardless, there is no reason for our views to be reconciled, we can differ because the difference is irrelevant to the point -- opponents from both parties...

Perhaps we can now return to Tristan's thread which was:
...The basic theme is whether counterinsurgency is even possible given:

a) media-driven society
b) counterinsurgencies take a long time
c) counterinsurgencies are very messy

Nagl says yes. ..
I think the more important question is should we engage in counterinsurgency operations given Tristan's parameters and I would answer no, we should not.

However, to the question asked, I agree with Nagl, yes, it is possible.