The American Way of War

Robert Farley has an excellent post about why America keeps winning wars. The whole thing is excellent, but this graph, I think, is key:

I would say first that the US has excelled in the technical aspects of war in some cases, if not in others. I would also suggest, though, that it's not quite the right question. Part of the US approach to war (and, really, part of any sensible approach to war) is to make sure that the battle is won before it is fought. Overwhelming logistical superiority helped to win the Civil War, both wars against Germany, and made the final campaigns against Japan a foregone conclusion. Logisitic superiority, which includes a careful integration of industry and warplanning, is itself a technical skill, and it's one that the United States has executed better than any other country.