Dexter Filkins, writing in the New York TImes Magazine (2/19/06 – subscription required) about the new strategy the U.S. is pursuing in Iraq:

“In the classic arc of Greek tragedy, the hero rises to great heights, only to be brought low by his own hubris. In Iraq, the Americans may yet salvage a bloody success; commanders like General Peterson seem to believe to their bones that they can. But it’s also possible that something more crushing is in the works, with a slightly different trajectory than the Greeks had in mind: the mighty country invades a smaller one, commits countless errors and wastes thousands of lives. After a time, the mighty country gathers itself and does everything right. And it is too late.”

Interesting because it demonstrates how having a strategy is essential, but it’s still only an educated guess. What happens depends more on other factors than the strategy itself. Don’t pursue the perfect strategy. Rather, put a decent strategy early on, then adjust it as reality smacks you in the face…