“Military tactics on paper” is a four-character idiom from ancient China originally used to describe the fate of a foolhardy Chinese general. Now the saying serves to remind us just how many things that make perfect sense on paper flop in real life.
The idiom became a staple of Chinese literary expression. “Military tactics on paper” is a concise, vivid, and often painfully accurate statement to describe epic failures, ancient to present. Here we give some examples from recent history before relating the historical episode that coined the phrase.
‘Mission Accomplished’
In 2003, the American-led invasion of Iraq was a full military victory. The dictator Saddam Hussein had been found in a basement and brought to justice. After an operation lasting barely over a month, President George W. Bush gave his iconic “Mission Accomplished” speech on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
