Malnutrition has a significant effect on intelligence. That childhood trauma could have an effect on intelligence of 0.5 standard deviations (7.5 IQ points) sounds plausible.
I am not claiming that populations do not differ in intelligence. (To the contrary, I think the phenomenon is fascinating.) I claim that, for the purposes of victory in recorded wars, the intelligence differential between populations is insignificant next to the intelligence differential between leadership groups.
This question concerns the application of intelligence to war. In the specific case of Afghanistan, I find it implausible that the stress and trauma of growing up in a warzone is bad preparation for war.
Malnutrition has a significant effect on intelligence. That childhood trauma could have an effect on intelligence of 0.5 standard deviations (7.5 IQ points) sounds plausible.
I am not claiming that populations do not differ in intelligence. (To the contrary, I think the phenomenon is fascinating.) I claim that, for the purposes of victory in recorded wars, the intelligence differential between populations is insignificant next to the intelligence differential between leadership groups.
This question concerns the application of intelligence to war. In the specific case of Afghanistan, I find it implausible that the stress and trauma of growing up in a warzone is bad preparation for war.