Generals throughout history have sacrificed their commands and squandered the blood of their soldiers by violating this simple principle. As early as 500 B.C., Sun Tzu taught, "...you must reinforce success and starve failure." Hitler violated this principle at the Battle of the Bulge. Burnside made this mistake at Fredericksburg in the Civil War. Napoleon tried to reinforce failure at Waterloo. There is no example anywhere in military history where it was prudent to reinforce a failed effort.
This principle is constant. It has never wavered. It will never change. Any attempt to do so has always resulted in greater failure. It always will. This important lesson is not confined to the battlefield. The same principle applies to the classroom, the household budget, and the national economy. Whenever resources of any kind are expended to extend a failed effort, those same resources are no longer available to reinforce success. Simply put, to reinforce any effort is to guarantee more of the same.
Common sense on this subject was evident at one time. Americans who lived through the economic depression of the 1930's tried to teach their children not to throw good money after bad. If there is to be any positive change in the world, leaders must internalize this lesson from history. The old adage says, "Those who will not learn from history are destined to repeat it." That would be a tragic mistake.
