The Brundtland definition of sustainable development, as cited by McCool in his lead probe Sustainable Tourism: Guiding Fiction, Social Trap or Path to Resilience? was a political one. In political terms it did serve a useful purpose, directing public attention to increasing shortages of natural resources. At the same time, however, it created continuing problems through its vagueness. As noted by McCool, it rallied social discourse but failed the specifics of implementation.