--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mistakes, after all, are endemic to…" description: "\"Mistakes, after all, are endemic to foreign and military policy given the unpredictability of events and the difficulty of securing reliable informatio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/eric-alterman-10672_difficulty_mistakes-after-all-are-endemic-to-foreig_1379928.jpg" --- # Mistakes, after all, are endemic to foreign and military… ![“Mistakes, after all, are endemic to foreign and military policy given the unpredictability of events and the difficulty of securing reliable information in a place like Iraq.” quote by Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/eric-alterman-10672_difficulty_mistakes-after-all-are-endemic-to-foreig_1379928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/eric-alterman-10672_difficulty_mistakes-after-all-are-endemic-to-foreig_1379928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/eric-alterman-10672_difficulty_mistakes-after-all-are-endemic-to-foreig_1379928.jpg) > “Mistakes, after all, are endemic to foreign and military policy given the unpredictability of events and the difficulty of securing reliable information in a place like Iraq.” [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policy errors stem from unpredictable events and unreliable data, especially in conflict zones like Iraq. **In simple terms:** Mistakes arise from unpredictability and bad info. Key Takeaway Improve intelligence gathering and analysis. Themes policy military uncertainty Mood analytical serious Type critical strategic When to use this quote - government planning - military operations - media reporting Key Concepts intelligence failures risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How can decision‑makers mitigate unknowns? - What safeguards prevent faulty intel? A Different Perspective Even best data can be incomplete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Given Unpredictability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-unpredictability-4777589/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Like Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-iraq-295493/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-policy-847771/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes Endemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-endemic-4777590/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Unpredictability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpredictability/) ## Related quotes > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. 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