Comments on: A key to the power of FM 3-24, the new COIN manual

By: Roberto Buffagni

Roberto Buffagni — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:44:37 +0000

If any of the Iraqui insurgents has got acquainted with the story of the American conquest of the Indian tribes, I doubt that he will trust very much American Viceroys.
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Fabius Maximus: That is a powerful insight! Also raises the question of the accuracy of such reports in the US media. These reports typically follow the narrative of “after person-to-person contact, the locals love us.” Perhaps so. I have more confidence in these reports if sometimes, once every few years, they said “After getting to know us, the locals in XXX village hate us.”

By: Rune Kramer

Rune Kramer — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:06:04 +0000

Could one learn from the world of business? The problem of culture and conflicts is a constant in the business world. Not only when a parent company sends out people of their own nationality to run businesses in other countries. But also when two companies of the same nationality merge can culture conflicts severely undermining any merger benefits.
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Fabius Maximus: that is a disturbing thought, as the failurie rate of mergers is aprox 3/4 (from the view of the shareholders of the acquiring firm).

By: Pete Peterson

Pete Peterson — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:17:21 +0000

Sometimes poets and authors say what I want to say better than any prose. George Bernard Shaw, I think the play is Man and Superman: “Forgive him, Caesar, for he is a barbarian, and thinks the customs and practices of his tribe are the laws of nature.”