Hi Selectric II; Re: "Historically, wars have been won and lost because of superior intelligence."
No, wars have been won and lost based on superior production. Intelligence saves lives, but it would be the very unusual war where intelligence is the difference between winning and losing. Certainly no war the U.S. has ever been involved in has had intelligence as a significant contribution to the result.
This is not to say that intelligence has no effect on the course of the war, but just to say that, for instance, WW2 was a done deal on December 7, 1941, just as Winston Churchill said. The rest was a matter of details, and details are important. But the productive capacity of the U.S. (about ~40% of world total) meant that the allies would either win or would get tired of fighting.
Similar with the Civil war, WW1, Vietnam, Korea, etc.
Win lose or draw, intelligence isn't what wins wars. Soldiers win wars, but only soldiers who are provided with enough materiel.
-- Carl |
