Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

The Nagl focus copied below impressed me ... he 'got it':

"The applicability of the thoughts behind the paradoxes depends on a sense of the local situation and, in particular, the state of the insurgency. For example, the admonition “Sometimes, the More Force Used, the Less Effective It Is” does not apply when the enemy is “coming over the barricades”; however, that thought is applicable when increased security is achieved in an area. In short, these paradoxes should not be reduced to a checklist; ....rather, they should be used with considerable thought."