The elegance of simplicity

OP-ED: Seeing Is Believing, By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, New York Times, August 19, 2007

Cool piece that reminds us to look for the KISS principle in our nation's foreign and security policies.

Smart flags (admirals and generals) call it "the mother-in-law test": if you can't explain it simply and succinctly to her, it's probably too complicated--and too nonsensical--to work.

It's why I peddle what I call "reproducible strategic concepts": "elegant" to fans and "simplistic" to critics.

Thanks to Dan Hare for sending this.

Comments

[M. Garcia]

Definitive proof that Mr. Friedman is still one of the best and most relevant columnists around: "...trying to unify Iraq feels like doing carpentry on a burning house."

I notice that he leaves the northern Kurds out of his recounting of sectarian violence, and for good reason. "Kurdistan" is to "Progressive" as "Sectarian Iraq" is to what? Is there any hope for the surge, or will we eventually end up in the K2 scenario that you have mentioned? Do the mil-pols even see that as an option yet?

And do the Dems, the ones who really make an effort at getting elected and therefore end up moderate, really know their gut? Does any pol have the other parts it will take to ask the American public such an audacious question? For that matter, will they actually listen to the answers?

Time for Tom and Tom to moderate a multi-party debate...