Quote Originally Posted by Chris jM View Post
Wilf, you no doubt agree that the vast majority of us/them out there have differing and incorrect views of both military employment and the meaning of the CoG. However, would you agree that an inefficient strategy pursued with great vigor and resolve immediately is better than constant strategic re-orientation and indecision?
Strategy is not right or wrong. It's better or worse, and the cost can be more more than you are willing to pay. It's about judgement, and skill.
The military contribution to strategy is violence. Strategy, is this context, is using force to gain what you want. If you are not using violence, you are using politics and diplomacy. You may use both. The real point about strategy is having one.
I ask this as I agree with you in every point you make, but once I try and frame the course of action I would follow were I king I keep compromising the lofty visions of a military specialising in force-on-force solutions.
Well I can't guess at the context, but it all depends on the policy. Most people confuse policy with strategy. It doesn't matter how good your strategy is, if the policy cannot be implemented by the means employed, or the cost required.
Policy is politics.
If you believe that developing A'Stan into a stable nation is the right thing to do, then this is personal belief. It is not dependent on logic, evidence and least of all strategy.

Does this help?