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Nimitz’s plan made the most of what he had. Crucially, too, Nimitz gave his subordinates crystal clear orders on how they were to fight.

Contrast with Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg or the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. If orders are not clear, things will go not go well.

It is equally clear that Nagumo and Yamaguchi’s outlooks were becoming mono-dimensional and limited to a sphere of combat that was primarily tactical, personal, and visual. Neither man was capable of placing his tactical decisions within the larger context of the nation’s war-waging.

I think that the current US military would likely be in this sort of situation. The primary goal for many in the US is to make sure you can't be held accountable. Focus on yourself. Stay out of trouble. There is no big picture. Overall strategy is not your concern, just make sure you won't be blamed when things go wrong. And, to that end, if you have to give orders, try to make them vague and confusing. That way, when a subordinate does A and screws things up, you can say, "I Meant you should have done B. It's not my fault you didn't understand."

I don't think the current US culture is capable of fighting a serious war. We are not the nation we were in the 1940s.