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Assumptions and Biases: The Foundations of Flawed Strategies

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Published January 31, 2024

Citing the recent failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the failures in the Vietnam War, Gen. H.R. McMaster emphasizes the need for strategic competence and what it entails.  Policymakers should employ strategic empathy, become better students of history’s lessons, and develop long-term strategies able to withstand multiple administrations. They must also abandon the failed methods of the past, particularly relying on our own biases, flawed assumptions, and oversimplified theories and analysis. 

Additional Resources:

  • Watch “Embracing Strategic Empathy" with Gen. H.R. McMaster.  Available here.
  • Watch "How to Overcome Strategic Narcissism" with Gen. H.R. McMaster.  Available here.