Two thousand years ago a Chinese warrior-philosopher named Sun Tzu

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=50940&format=html

Tuesday October 2, 2007

Two thousand years ago a Chinese warrior-philosopher named Sun Tzu compiled his thoughts and strategies on war and conflict. That book is known today as the Art of War. It is studied not only by military leaders, but by politicians, corporate executives and philosophy scholars worldwide. This has been the case for at least two millennia.

The tenets put forth by Sun Tzu for victory on and off the battlefield have withstood the test of time and are widely followed wherever power is wielded; the one modern exception appears to be the Bush White House and the neo-con cabal advising it.

Sun Tzu writes, "To overcome other's armies without fighting is the best of all skills." Certainly no one in the PNAC, the Bush White House or the Republican leadership embraces that idea. These guys (and Condi) brought us Shock and Awe; the Surge; freedom and democracy from the barrel of a gun; and fight them there so we don't have to fight them here.

And how's that working out so far? Not so well.

Sun Tzu expands on this, "The superior military strategist foils enemies' plots; next best is to ruin their alliances; next after that is to attack their armed forces; worst is to besiege their cities." We know Dubya does not read, but surely someone in the administration would have been enamored enough with the book's name and reputation to give it a glance and discover that they are doing it exactly backwards.

They did not pay any attention to the plots. (Remember the direct warning, "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States.") They not only did not ruin the radical Islamic alliances, but their policies have allowed those alliances to grow and prosper in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

[KG]

1. the neo-con agenda has nothing to do with winning wars.

constant conflict, and the profits to be made from it, is their aim.

[Deja Q]

2. Doctor Who always did the same thing.

Which is ironic; the Doctor fought for freedom and liberty.

The Chinese are quite the opposite.

Plus, they've built up their own reputation for not making good products. That'll hamper their own alliances too, surely?

[seemslikeadream]

3. SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD

http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html


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The Art of War has 13 chapters. You can click on the Chapter Number to go to that chapter directly.
Each chapter is hyper-linked to its corresponding Chinese text. You may switch back and forth between the English and the original Chinese text, by clicking on the link at the end of each chapter.
|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13


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I. LAYING PLANS


1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance
to the State.

2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either
to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry
which can on no account be neglected.

3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant
factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.

4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.

5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete
accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him
regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat,
times and seasons.

8. Earth comprises distances, great and small;
danger and security; open ground and narrow passes;
the chances of life and death.

9. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom,
sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.

10. By method and discipline are to be understood
the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions,
the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance
of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the
control of military expenditure.

11. These five heads should be familiar to every general:
he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them
not will fail.

12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking
to determine the military conditions, let them be made
the basis of a comparison, in this wise:--

13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued
with the Moral law?
(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?
(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven
and Earth?
(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
(5) Which army is stronger?
(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
(7) In which army is there the greater constancy
both in reward and punishment?

14. By means of these seven considerations I can
forecast victory or defeat.

15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts
upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command!
The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it,
will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!

[Az]

4. Unfortunately those in charge are reading Machiavelli's work instead

Fear and dominance are the name of the game they are using. The Prince is much closer to the tactics guide they are using than the Art of War.

[hootinholler]

5. They fired the guys who read it.

I mean that literally.

-Hoot

[Coexist]

6. yes, they did.

or frustrated them into quitting, er, I mean "retiring".

[Javaman]

7. Dim Son the art of Blunder. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. They cling to the notion that wars are "won" by body-counts and bomb tonnage.

See Vietnam for precedent. See Iraq for proof that such strategy is still futile.

See both for unnecessary and fruitless murder.

[Bandit]

9. If we were truly at war this may apply

"next after that is to attack their armed forces" um okay...If only they had a military we could attack. All we are doing is killing civilians...Mostly women and children it seems. We are not at war with Iraq. Granted there are criminals that need to be rounded up and tried for their crimes but War...I hardly think so..