Posted on 12/30/2005 3:12:56 PM PST by Congressman Billybob
Even political junkies like me take breaks from news and the Internet. In the middle of a football break, I realized the football analogy is false for American politics. So, I reread Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” and wrote this column.
Sun Tzu wrote that all warfare depends on deception. There is some deception in football. Occasionally it controls the outcome. I remember acutely a game that my high school lost in 1959, because I was deceived on the same play, twice.
Both times, the opposing quarterback faked a handoff but then pitched wide to the halfback who ran for a touchdown. As the defensive tackle, containment on that side was my responsibility. Both times, I put a bone-rattling tackle on the fullback, who did not have the ball. In my own defense, I played without glasses or contacts. I could not see the ball, so I tackled the man I thought had it. But enough of former triumphs.
Opportunities for deception in football are limited. The field is defined. The rules are enforced. Time is limited by the clock. Those restraints don’t apply in warfare or politics. There are no limits on the opportunities for deception. As Sun Tzu wrote, with deception an able commander can defeat even a stronger enemy.
There is a second, overwhelming difference between football and warfare. In football, every play is designed to defeat the plans of the opponent. In warfare and politics, the goal is not to win every possible confrontation. It is to win in the end, regardless of how many small defeats are inflicted along the way.
Apply Sun Tzu’s lessons to a certain public policy success of the Bush Administration over the Democrats, now. First, a dose of Sun Tzu’s “Art of War,” written two millenia ago:
Any military operation takes deception as its basic quality. A commander who is competent should pretend to be incompetent, he who is ready to use military force should pretend to delay his action;....
A good commander must offer a bait to allure the enemy who covets small advantages, capture the enemy when he is in disorder, take precautions against the enemy who has good preparation and substantial strength, evade for a time the enemy while he is strong, enrage the enemy who is hot-tempered, pretend to be weak in order to make the enemy arrogant or haughty, wear the enemy out if he has taken a good rest, set one party against another within the enemy if they are united. A commander must understand how to attack where the enemy is unprepared, and hit when it is unexpected. All the above-mentioned is the key to military victory, but it is never possible to formulate a fixed plan beforehand.
Look at the massive defeat the Bush Administration has just inflicted on the Democrats, on the subject of intelligence-gathering in wartime. The Democrats made a huge issue of the “outing” of CIA employee, Valerie Plame. Skip all the points about whether she was even the kind of employee who COULD be outed. Prosecutor Fitzgerald seems to agree, since he hasn’t charged anyone with outing her.
Pushing that issue, that hard, for so long, put the Democrats in an indefensible position concerning the revelation by the New York Times of the NSA program of interception of electronic communications between Al Qaeda suspects overseas and people in the US (who may or may not be US citizens).
By their own choice of prior tactics, the Democrats are in the weakest possible position to complain about the release of secret information to the media. A long series of Democrat attacks had (apparently) weakened the Bush Administration. Democrats and the press made much of the “declining poll numbers” for President Bush. But it is not the objective of any competent President to maintain high poll numbers. It is to accomplish his set purposes.
For a time, President Bush “looked” weak. Now the Democrats are hoist by their own petard. What does Sun Tzu say about that? “Pretend to be weak in order to make the enemy arrogant or haughty.” On this issue, as on many before, the Democrats have worked themselves into a losing position, by underestimating Bush. He has used their tendency to attack, all times and all fronts, against them
The Democrats are worse than I was on that football field 46 years ago. They have been defeated more than twice by the same tactic. And they lack the excuse that they couldn’t see it coming..
This should not close without applying Sun Tzu’s admonitions to its obvious subject as well as its allegorical one. Most of the leading Democrats are clamoring for “a plan for victory in Iraq.” Here’s the 2,000-year-old answer: “It is never possible to formulate a fixed plan beforehand.”
About the Author: John Armor is a First Amendment attorney and author who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
Here's a link to "Art of War;" http://www.chinavista.com/experience/warart/warframe.html
John / Billybob
BillyBob BUMP
Speaking of football, I have a few predictions I'm willing to make.
Texas will defeat USC. For starters, if USC wins, they will be tied with the Tide for national championships, and fate just won't allow that, would make a mockery of everything that our great coach stood for.
LSU will lose to Miami. The local boy is out of the game, and their coach makes DiNardo look bright, look for Miami to eke out a decent victory.
Auburn will beat Wisconsin, much as it pains me to say it, the cow college is good, and Wisconsin is not of SEC caliber.
Alabama will defeat Texas Tech, because while it is a match of a premiere defense against a premiere offense, the fact is, Bama's offense is better than Tech's defense.
In the Sugar Bowl, look for Patrick White to lead West Virginia to an improbable victory over the Dawgs
Finally, Joe Paterno will wipe the floor with Bobby Bowden, who's team doesn't really deserve to be in it's bowl game.
If ya can't beat 'em, Tzu 'em. ;-)
NICE POST! What a great way to end the year. W is kicking their @ss, and they don't even know it - beautiful!
bttt
It is wise to remember the words of W and his generals.... "at a time and place of my choosing:.
Watching the investigation unfold is going to be a real historical lesson.
Thank you, John.
Excellent job. Love the analogies and Sun Tzu quotes. So very spot on. I hope you and yours have a safe, blessed and wonderful New Year's....
Just for info:
Most Americans pronounce it Sun Zoo; the correct pronunciation is closer to Soon Suh.
Semper Art of War Fi's
Enjoyed it tremendously. Happy New Year, Congressman.
You are probably going to be investigated for leaking classified information ; )
Good read.
I loooooooooooooove football.
Semper Fi
I'll raise you two ; )
Here's a link to a review of Sun Tzu was a Sissy by Stanley Bing. If you haven't read this book yet please do, it's hilarious.
While I agree with your statement, I'll be pulling for Wisconsin solely because of AUs attitude after the Iron Bowl...Tide is overrated, we're better, yaddayaddayadda. Not to mention the fact that my favorite team is Alabama and whoever is playing Auburn.
What part of town are you from? I grew up in Semmes.
Bill Belichick beat you to it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/03/sports/football/03belichick.html
There is deception in EVERY play in football. Even when the play is designed to do exactly what it looks like it's designed to do, it's still deceptive because the opposing coach is wondering what the heck you're up to.
BTW
To paraphrase;
The best army is the one the enemy is afraid to fight.
This is due to training and reputation.
Hence the Iraqui army surrendering en masse to the USMC during the first Gulf War.
President Bush is continually misunderestimated by Democrats. Good post.
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