American's Comprehension Problem

I have to link to this post by Matt Yglesias: anyone who thinks that the US should be getting involved in conflicts around the world should read this.

"in a straightforward contest of power between the United States and Pakistan, we can of course win. But in a scenario where we are trying to manipulate the situation in Pakistan in such-and-such a way and Pakistani actors are trying to manipulate the situation for their own ends, the odds of us actually outwitting the Pakistanis are terrible. They’re in a much better position to manipulate us than we are them."