There has been much dialogue recently espousing the notion of 'fighting ideas with ideas'. It seems logical, but I also suspect extremely difficult. If it is such a good idea, then it is highly likely that it would have been done before and that there would be historical examples from which to draw. Unfortunately, I am drawing a bit of a blank. I can come up with Alexander the Great adopting Persian affectations but after that I am a bit stumped.

So the question is, who in the past has successfully fought ideas with ideas and are their techniques still valid today?

JD