Book Quote by George Packer
![“One book that I heard was circulating the Green Zone was "Bureaucracy Does Its Thing" by Robert Komer , who worked for President [Lindon] Johnson in Saigon. This book is about the inevitably of screwing up when a country takes on a war with so little understanding of the country they are fighting.” quote by George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/49e/george-packer-2917_book_one-book-that-i-heard-was-circulating-th_474756.jpg)
“One book that I heard was circulating the Green Zone was "Bureaucracy Does Its Thing" by Robert Komer , who worked for President [Lindon] Johnson in Saigon. This book is about the inevitably of screwing up when a country takes on a war with so little understanding of the country they are fighting.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Bureaucracy Does Its Thing by Robert Komer, 1960s
War agencies with limited cultural insight inevitably leads to costly mistakes and unintended consequences.
In simple terms: War without understanding causes failure.
Key Takeaway
Study local context before intervening.
Themes
war
policy
culture
misunderstanding
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- military planning
- foreign aid
- nation building
- policy making
- academic analysis
Key Concepts
imperialism
information asymmetry
strategic failure
Questions to Reflect On
- How can decision‑makers better incorporate local knowledge?
- What safeguards reduce bureaucratic blunders?
A Different Perspective
Even with expertise, bureaucratic inertia can still cause errors.
![“I first became interested in Ho Chi Minh in 1964-1965 while I was stationed at the U.S. Embassy in South Vietnam as a foreign service officer with the Department of State. The government in Saigon was at the point of collapse and the [Lyndon] Johnson administration was preparing to send U.S…” quote by William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/491/william-j-duiker-21821_administration_i-first-became-interested-in-ho-chi-minh_2609137.jpg)
