This is a Western affliction for which the evidence is strong:
- The Romans at Teutoburg Forest in 9BC
- Britain and the settlers in the American War of Independence
- Britain and the Zulu in 1862
- Britain and the Afghans 1839-1842
- Britain and the Boers in 1880-1881
- Britain and the Japanese in 1940
- The US in Vietnam
- The Russians in Afghanistan
- The US and Britain in Afghanistan
(and there are probably lots of others)
Why is this so? Do we really believe we are better than the opposition or do our intelligence people simply not know what’s going on? And why, in the face of this sort of evidence, do we fail to learn?
As Sun Tzu said 2,500 years ago Know yourself and your enemy and you need not fear the results of a thousand battles.
Clearly we ain’t got a clue. And they teach military history at Sandhurst! Maybe the cadets can’t be bothered listening.
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