From Faiz Abdullah
The Prussian field marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, renowned for laying the groundwork for modern warfare, is said to have observed that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.
His reputation as a military strategist par excellence notwithstanding, it is the sort of aphorism generals admire because it flatters their sense of realism – a reminder that strategy, however artfully conceived, must eventually contend with facts on the ground.
Albeit lesser in sophistication, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson delivers a pithier jab: everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face.
In this vein, the publication of the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) landed with something of a knockout blow. And the percussive effects are felt far and wide, not just by its adversaries, but by those who considered themselves America’s friends.
Released recently with little fanfare, the document dispenses with many of the tropes that…