Posted on 10/01/2001 3:54:21 PM PDT by Clive
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?14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.(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?
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!
16. While heading the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.
17. According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans.
18. All warfare is based on deception.
19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.
22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.
24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
25. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.
26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.
I really think this is the main strategy for ENDURING FREEDOM.
Where is Patton when you really need him?
In other words, no half-assed measures.
Prosecute the war to you fullest extent.
This we neglected to do in Viet Nam.
And as for terrorists, I would posit it
means using the very tools of terrorism
against this enemy. But that's just me.
The Sun Tzu is a textbook for military officers.
Yet, it is being applied, with commentaries, in the study of endeavours such as business or litigation.
As to nuke warfare, I suspect that Tun Tzu would disapprove of reliance on it except as a last ditch defence. His thesis does not contemplate the mere destruction of the enemy or the mere killing of its soldiers or civilians as being a valid objective of war. Neither, I submit, does the Strategic Air Command.
Note that nuke warfare is of extremely limited application. As such, the PBI is still queen of battle.
Killing is not the purpose of war. It is merely one of the means of war.
Those who got sucked into defining success by "kill ratios" were making a very egregious error.
I would make book that Bush has read the Sun Tzu.
It is almost a certainty that his strategic and tactical advisors have done so.
I had thought that I had posted all 13 chapters but I can only find links up to paragraph 19 of Chap. 11 (I had to split that one as the system choked when I tried to post the whole chapter)
I cannot find links to postings of the remainder of Chapter 11 or Chapters 12 or 13.
Perhaps I ought to do another posting of the 13 chapters, perhaps a different translation or perhaps a new posting of the Giles translation.
How say you?
I don't think if it'd be necessary to repost the entire Giles translation though, just the parts that are missing would suffice.
I don't think if it'd be necessary to repost the entire Giles translation..
How say you?
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