Five Laws of Naval Warfare

Alert readers will recognize that these "Laws" apply to a lot of other things in life. But, I present them as the "Laws of Naval Warfare" because I first developed them while reading about some of the famous naval battles of the past. I envision them from the point of view of an admiral, a commander in chief, or even the head of state, much as Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, or von Clausewitz would have.

1. Never underestimate the opposition. You may have a brilliant plan, but as soon as other people are involved (both on your side and the enemy's) you can never tell what will happen.

2. Don’t believe your own propaganda. It’s OK to say the enemy is a stupid barbarian, but you must still be prepared to be surprised by his resourcefulness.

3. Don’t be too clever; the too-smart plan has a way of blowing up in the face of the planner.

4. Do nothing that isn’t motivated by strategic or tactical considerations; the notion that war is a means of communicating with the enemy is a myth of the intellectuals and has not helped those who did things “to send a message”.

5. Warfare and cost control, cost effectiveness, or cost consciousness may not be used coherently in the same sentence. Don’t worry about the bills until the treaty has been signed.