I’ve come to the conclusion that the US Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual may be the best parenting guide I’ve ever read. Here are just a few examples of what I’m talking about:

1.  Sometimes the more force you use, the less effective it is.

2.  Sometimes doing nothing is the best reaction.

3.  The [child] doing something tolerably is normally better than [the parents] doing it well.

4.  If a tactic works this week, it may not work next week.

5.  Tactical success guarantees nothing.

6.  Actions executed without properly assessing their political effects at best result in reduced effectiveness and at worst are counterproductive.

On a more serious note, I would suggest you pick up a copy of this important work today — it’s also available for free online, but the online edition does not include the introduction by Sarah Sewall, who is executive director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard.  The manual offers an excellent overview of the very approach the Army and Marines are using in Marjah province — so much so that reading news stories about the offensive is like watching a football game after you’ve read one of the team’s playbooks.

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