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Jan 19, 2007

The Art of War: Lessons for Bush

Just selections here from the opening paragraphs:

孫子曰:兵者,國之大事,死生之地,存亡之道,不可不察也。

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

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.

故經之以五,校之以計,而索其情:一曰道,二曰天,三曰地,四曰
將,五曰法。道者,令民于上同意者也,可與之死,可與之生,民不
詭也。天者,陰陽、寒暑、時制也。地者,高下、遠近、險易、廣狹
、死生也。將者,智、信、仁、勇、嚴也。法者,曲制、官道、主用
也。凡此五者,將莫不聞,知之者勝,不知之者不勝。故校之以計,
而索其情。曰:主孰有道?將孰有能?天地孰得?法令孰行?兵眾孰
強?士卒孰練?賞罰孰明?吾以此知勝負矣。

The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors,
to be taken into account in one's deliberations.
These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.

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

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.

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

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