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| Axis of Evil |
| 2002-02-14 |
The contemptuous dismissal of Saddam Hussein's army is a mistake on the part of those pushing for immediate war with Iraq. It is a truism that nothing goes quite as planned during wartime - you're doing well if you're in the ballpark, so forget all about hitting a home run every time. And there are times when things go worse than Murphy. FUBAR ("Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition") is a bit of military terminology that's been around in one form or another probably since the first wall was built at Jericho. Rather than expecting to waltz through Mesopotamia, it would be a far, far better thing to expect something terrible to go wrong from at least one and probably eight unexpected quarters. That way, if it happens we'll be prepared to deal with it, and if not we'll be pleasantly surprised. "Hubris" is a Greek word that's been around nearly as long as FUBAR. I'll say. I obsessively play Turborisk (five minute games! great interface! highly recommended), and there's nothing like assembling a continental invasion force of 20 armies and watch them dwindle after an assault on the minuscule defensive position. It's just the luck of the dice (or random number generator), but it's a very useful reminder that overall strategy and multiple-turn plans are more important than just starting with a superior force. The latter helps, but it's easy to misuse through overconfidence, and it's not in itself a guarantee of victory. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |