Stupid on Intelligence

Much can be said on the topic of intelligence and the military. We looked at Douglas MacArthur the last few posts. One more on his failure and then one on the failure of his intelligence chief in the Korean conflict.

Briefly, we know little about Korea because we did not glorify it and the men who returned kept it largely to themselves. We know more about Viet Nam because it came to our living rooms every night in color and it engendered much debate. I think the men who fought there suffered greatly. Two veterans I know shared some of their experience. The black spots remain on one man's feet, a reminder of the frostbite he suffered because the men were ill-equipped. The other man ended our conversation due to the overwhelming weight of the memories of killing and seeing friends killed. Does not a commander have the moral obligation to serve his men wholeheartedly, carefully, and judiciously? Consider these brief examples.
MacArthur and staff projected Chinese forces gathering at a level of between a low of 16,500 and a high of 30,000 troops. These estimates flew in the face of reality and the incoming intelligenc reports of captured Chinese soldiers in Korea, reports from well-placed spies, and the evidence of the presence of a large force. He moved U.S. troops north into a trap as a result. In fact, there were 300,000 (30 divisions) Chinese troops poised to strike a blow. It was said, "MacArthur did not want the Chinese to enter the war in Korea. Anything MacArthur wanted (his intelligence chief) produced for him."
David Halberstam describes the result of the Chinese striking: "It had been one of the worst days in the history of the American army...the numbers were heart-breaking..." Thousands died because someone would not listen to what they did not want to hear.
Sometimes I don't listen to what I don't want to hear. What consequences do we bring on others and ourselves by not listening?