Have the courage
to complete an objective analysis of the situation and withdraw from the
war if it is the right thing to do. You cannot possibly stomach sacrificing
a single American life to protect your vanity. History may tag you with
an unjust label, but you believe sincerely that history may be more likely
to reward you for having the courage to do the right thing.
Have an objective
analysis run. Then you choose between two alternatives: Alternative 1 -
Use all the military power you have to win the war decisively regardless
of whether it makes sense or what it costs. Alternative 2 - Set an easily
definable and reachable goal that is sure to be attainable quickly, whether
the goal makes sense or not. Then, when the goal is met, declare victory
and go home.
Surround yourself
with advisors who understand their role is to tell you what you want to
hear. Then you get them to advise you to continue the war, which you will
prolong until the end of your term. If the war is not winnable, let the
next President be the first to lose a war.
Prolong the
war as long as you can and make sure you have a lot of investments in war-related
industries. As long as you're going to be the first President to lose a
war, you might as well get rich in the process.
Take command
of the entire operation yourself. You micro-manage your commanders in the
field from thousands of miles away. Maybe you know better than career military
people and can win the war yourself, despite expert pessimism.
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Copyright © 1998 by Richard Warren Field