Tuesday, August 30, 2005

The Art of War

"The Art of War" by legendary Chinese general Sun-Tzu is the classic source of military strategy, written 2,400 years ago. All I'll say is.. read these excerpts, and you might grasp the insane incompetence of the people who created and are now running this physically-impossible and illogical "War on Terror," and the Iraq occupation.

"War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life or death, the road to either survival or ruin."

"All war is based on deception."

"A sovereign cannot launch a war because he is enraged or resentful. For while an angered man may again be happy, and a resentful man may again be pleased, a state that has perished cannot be restored, nor can the dead be brought back to life. Therefore, the enlightened ruler is prudent and is warned against rash action, thus the state is kept secure and the army is preserved."

"If troops are attacking cities, their strength will be exhausted. When the army engages in extended campaigns, the resources of the state will be depleted. When your weapons are dulled, your strength exhausted, and treasure spent, the leaders of the neighboring states will take advantage of your crisis to act. In that case, no man, however wise, will be able to avert the disastrous consequences that will occur."

"There has never been a prolonged war which benefited a country."

"Treat the prisoners of war good and care for them."

"In war the best policy is to take a state intact; to ruin it is inferior to this."

"To win one-hundred battles is not the ultimate skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence."

"Know the enemy and know yourself;
in a hundred battles you will never be defeated."

"An army which fights in the hope of winning, but without any planning, is destined to be defeated."

"Those skilled in war cultivate their policies and strictly adhere to the laws and regulations."

"He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his enemy is at ease; He who comes later to the scene and rushes into the fight becomes weary."

"It is a doctrine of war to avoid presuming that the enemy will not attack, but rather to make oneself invincible."

"In war, numbers alone do not guarantee an advantage."

"When the general is morally weak and without authority, when his instructions and guidance are not enlightened, when there are no consistent rules to guide the officers and men, the result is disorganization."

"To achieve a uniform level of valor relies on a good military administration."

"What in the hell is a 'Sun-Tzu'?
Gee wiz, everyone knows
Hermann Goering is my man!!!"

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