I haven't seen this on the web yet, so here goes:
The Art Of War - Sun Tzu and Four American Presidents
by Tom Adkins
Over two thousand years ago, an ancient Chinese warrior wrote a brief
book on warfare. His name was Sun Tzu. His book, The Art of War, is now
a staple for virtually any military strategic training. Sun Tzu barely
mentioned weaponry.
Instead, he focused on strategies. strategies that convert to winning
and losing. His insights into the nature of competition, battle and
diplomacy apply to virtually every aspect of life, from the battlefield
to the boardroom, from the football arena to the global arena.
Within this context, let's briefly examine the greatest challenges of
our four most recent American presidents.
Jimmy Carter versus Leonid Brezhnev 1976-1980
I say: Know your enemy and know
yourself; in a hundred battles, you
will never be defeated. When you are
ignorant of the enemy but know yourself,
your chances of winning or losing are
equal. If ignorant both of your enemy
and of yourself, you are sure to be
defeated in every battle.-Sun Tzu
>From the end of World War Two, United States foreign policy towards the
Soviet Union was essentially a "keep up with the Jones-ski's." If the
Soviets made a bomb, we made a bomb. If the Soviets built a tank, we
built a tank. Essentially, we treaded water.
Jimmy Carter was the first president to buck that trend. Carter slashed
our military and proposed we become buddies with the Soviets. The Soviet
Union promptly took over ten countries. When the USSR marched into
Afghanistan, Carter responded by withdrawing from the Olympics. Carter
didn't understand that leaders bent upon world domination usually aren't
concerned with track and field events. During Carter's term, world
leaders smelled his weakness. The OPEC nations pulled back production of
oil, driving prices to four times their 1976 level. This created
"Stagflation," when energy prices skyrocketing regardless of economic
conditions. The cost of everything rose overnight, crushing the American
economy.
But Carter wasn't done. He decided that it would be wonderful to put
virtually the entire nation on the dole. All sorts of government
entitlement programs were created and expanded. Few worked and most of
them caused heavy damage. Taxes rose. The economy slumped. Interest
rates quadrupled. Poverty rose. The economy staggered. All because
Carter wanted to play horseshoes with the Soviet Union, who essentially
wanted to destroy the United States. Carter invited them to a tea party.
The Soviets showed up and played smash-mouth rugby.
Our military was toothless, our intelligence organizations were hollow,
and our nation was floundering. Carter left office with America on its
knees. Nobody respected us, and we were powerless to show them
otherwise.
It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not
come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet
him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather
to make one's self invincible. -Sun Tzu
Ronald Reagan versus Mikhail Gorbachev 1980-1988
To subdue the enemy without fighting
is the supreme excellence.-Sun Tzu
Ronald Reagan inherited a terrible economy, a nation with no
international respect, and a bold, expanding Soviet Union. He tossed
away the old concept of military parity along with the Carter concept of
capitulation and took it upon himself to defeat the Soviet Union.
Reagan recognized that a socialist economy barely functions. By
rebuilding American armed forces, Reagan challenged the Soviet Union to
keep up. They obliged. Our military spending increased to 27% of our
federal budget.
But the Soviets needed 60% of their budget to keep up. That math didn't
work well for the USSR. But the Soviets were willing to bleed their
people dry.
Nothing is more difficult than the art
of maneuvering for advantageous
positions.-Sun Tzu
Reagan had a stroke of brilliance. The Soviets relied upon hard currency
to maintain their straining military budget. And there was only one
source of Soviet hard currency; Oil. Reagan tripled the foreign aid to
Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to about 3 billion each, but under the
following conditions:
1-They stop fighting.
2-They buy American military hardware.
3-Saudi Arabia increase oil production to meet American demand.
The Saudi's opened up the oil spigots. Overnight, the price of oil
dropped below $20 per barrel. In one fell swoop, Reagan brought peace to
the middle east, boosted the American economy with lower energy prices,
and eliminated the only source of money to fund the Soviet army. It
actually became more expensive for the Russians to pump oil than it was
worth. The USSR was on its knees, ripe for defeat. Shortly after, Reagan
announced the Strategic Defense Initiative. The USSR tossed in its hand.
Within 24 months, the USSR was no longer in existence.
Until Clinton, our economy benefited from lower
oil prices and less military spending. All
because Reagan won the Cold War. That
victory wasn't the sum of efforts from previous presidents. Reagan alone
won the Cold War. Without firing a shot. Few give him credit for his
utter political brilliance. When Reagan left office, America held
unprecedented prestige and strength.
The victories won by a master of war
gain him neither reputation for wisdom
nor merit for courage. How subtle and
insubstantial, that the expert leaves
no trace. How divinely mysterious,
that he is inaudible. Thus, he is master
of his enemy's fate.-Sun Tzu
George Bush versus Saddaam Hussein 1990-1992
A speedy victory is the main object
in war.-Sun Tzu
Sometimes, diplomacy is as delicate as
gossamer. Sometimes diplomacy is
a sledgehammer. And sometimes, it's both.
The first serious challenge to George Bush's "New World Order" was
issued by Saddaam Hussein. Everyone knew Reagan didn't take any crap
from anyone. Like all bullies, Hussein was anxious to test the mettle of
this new president the press labeled as "Wimp."
Big mistake. Every world leader should know better than to believe the
American press. Not only did Bush have iron balls, he had brilliant
diplomatic skills. He actually knitted the whole world into a blanket
of agreement against Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. This political
accomplishment was like herding a hundred cats. Except cats with nuclear
claws, bad attitudes, and who often hated one another.
While we have heard of stupid haste in
war, we have not yet seen a clever
operation that was prolonged.-Sun Tzu
When the Gulf War was over, the United States enjoyed its peak influence
in the world. Nobody doubted any facet of our nation whatsoever. In less
than ten years, Reagan and Bush took America from laughingstock to
absolute respect. Say what you want about Bush. He was uncomfortable.
Boring. And he didn't discuss his underwear on MTV. But diplomatically,
he was brilliant, perhaps better than Reagan. He knew what had to be
done. He knew it was a monumental task. He knew how to do it. And he did
it. Bush left office with America unquestionably the only world
superpower, allies all over the globe, and very few enemies.
The general who in advancing does not seek
personal fame, and in withdrawing is not
concerned with avoiding punishment, but
whose only purpose is to protect the people
and promote the best interests of his sovereign
is like a precious jewel to the state.-Sun Tzu
Bill Clinton versus China
Appraise war in terms of the fundamental
factors. The first of these factors is moral
influence.-Sun Tzu
Befuddled Americans think Bill Clinton's major war is in Yugoslavia.
Actually, Clinton's war is with China. And he already lost. Under
Clinton's watch, China has successfully stolen, bought, or was simply
given the blueprints for every modern American nuclear weapon-and the
guidance systems to accurately deliver them. Like Reagan's brilliant
victory over the Soviet Union, China never fired a shot. They simply
waited until we had a corruptible president, and simply corrupted him.
One who is not acquainted with the
designs of his neighbors should not
enter into alliances with them.-Sun Tzu
Bill Clinton's political prostitution has never been questioned. It's
always been a matter of price. Wise world leaders have long recognized
Clinton as an egotistical political charlatan, capable of being elected
in a nation enamored with personality and ignorant of wisdom. Such
leaders aren't spun by James Carville and Dan Rather. Instead, they
laugh at Clinton's bumbling and self-aggrandizement. Then take advantage
of him. No wonder the Chinese wanted Clinton to be president.
All warfare is based on deception. There is
no place where espionage is not used. Offer
the enemy bait to lure him.-Sun Tzu
The political greed of Clinton and his Democrats drove them directly
into the Chinese espionage trap. Like all nations, China has been
snooping around for years, picking up a snippet here, a spoonful there.
But under Clinton's watch, China got the entire bag of goodies. It
wasn't even expensive. For a few million dollars to the DNC, China
gained complete access and even protection via Janet Reno's Justice
Department. When Clinton's people discovered the damage, they did
nothing. When the damage came to light, Clinton's administration tried
to blame everyone else. What could they do? Admit their treason?
Those who excel in war first cultivate their
own humanity and justice and maintain their
laws and institutions. By these means they
make their governments invincible.-Sun Tzu
Led by his pathological ego, Clinton breaks rules and laws at his,
victimizing friends and foes alike. In the meantime, he stumbles from
one manufactured crisis to another, all designed to cover his tracks. He
distracts the nation by flinging bombs across the world, converting
sleeping dogs into resentful enemies. Meanwhile, China picked our
pockets and built coalitions against us while Clinton parades around, a
team of flakes shilling for him. Clinton inherited a world that
respected America, and like a drunken gambler, parlayed American
prestige into the gutter. He managed to destroy the careful coalition of
nations aligned against Iraq. He ruined world confidence in NATO. He
managed to weaken Russia as a state, yet strengthen their diplomatic
presence. He strengthened China's hand unimaginably, creating
instability in the region. He simultaneously stoked the nuclear fires
between India and Pakistan, two wary but previously contented enemies.
Now, rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran are stretching their
claws, armed with Chinese missiles which can reach America. And Taiwan
is just a bit edgier today. When Clinton leaves office, America will
have less friends than his first day as President. Thanks to Reagan and
Bush, the United States isn't on her knees. But Clinton proved America
is willing to turn a few tricks for the right price.
When the leader is morally weak and his
discipline not strict, when his instructions
and guidance are not enlightened, when
there are no consistent rules. Neighboring
rulers will take advantage of this".-Sun Tzu
Every nation is perpetually at war. For a president,
every move, every word, every action has
consequences to the entire nation from that
moment well into the future. The concepts behind successfully leading a
nation are not new, but the arrogant and power-hungry seem to create
endless varieties of how to commit the same mistakes. The less we pay
attention, the greater damage each mistake creates.
On this Memorial Day, remember those who fought for our nation,
especially those who gave their lives so we may be free. Consider how
easily their sacrifice can be squandered. And how often it has happened.
And whether you will ever let that happen to another American son or
daughter.
War is a matter of vital importance to
the state; a matter of life or death, the
road either to survival or to ruin.-Sun Tzu
Regards,
Albin
(formerly of AR-15.com, still!!)
The Art Of War - Sun Tzu and Four American Presidents
by Tom Adkins
Over two thousand years ago, an ancient Chinese warrior wrote a brief
book on warfare. His name was Sun Tzu. His book, The Art of War, is now
a staple for virtually any military strategic training. Sun Tzu barely
mentioned weaponry.
Instead, he focused on strategies. strategies that convert to winning
and losing. His insights into the nature of competition, battle and
diplomacy apply to virtually every aspect of life, from the battlefield
to the boardroom, from the football arena to the global arena.
Within this context, let's briefly examine the greatest challenges of
our four most recent American presidents.
Jimmy Carter versus Leonid Brezhnev 1976-1980
I say: Know your enemy and know
yourself; in a hundred battles, you
will never be defeated. When you are
ignorant of the enemy but know yourself,
your chances of winning or losing are
equal. If ignorant both of your enemy
and of yourself, you are sure to be
defeated in every battle.-Sun Tzu
>From the end of World War Two, United States foreign policy towards the
Soviet Union was essentially a "keep up with the Jones-ski's." If the
Soviets made a bomb, we made a bomb. If the Soviets built a tank, we
built a tank. Essentially, we treaded water.
Jimmy Carter was the first president to buck that trend. Carter slashed
our military and proposed we become buddies with the Soviets. The Soviet
Union promptly took over ten countries. When the USSR marched into
Afghanistan, Carter responded by withdrawing from the Olympics. Carter
didn't understand that leaders bent upon world domination usually aren't
concerned with track and field events. During Carter's term, world
leaders smelled his weakness. The OPEC nations pulled back production of
oil, driving prices to four times their 1976 level. This created
"Stagflation," when energy prices skyrocketing regardless of economic
conditions. The cost of everything rose overnight, crushing the American
economy.
But Carter wasn't done. He decided that it would be wonderful to put
virtually the entire nation on the dole. All sorts of government
entitlement programs were created and expanded. Few worked and most of
them caused heavy damage. Taxes rose. The economy slumped. Interest
rates quadrupled. Poverty rose. The economy staggered. All because
Carter wanted to play horseshoes with the Soviet Union, who essentially
wanted to destroy the United States. Carter invited them to a tea party.
The Soviets showed up and played smash-mouth rugby.
Our military was toothless, our intelligence organizations were hollow,
and our nation was floundering. Carter left office with America on its
knees. Nobody respected us, and we were powerless to show them
otherwise.
It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not
come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet
him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather
to make one's self invincible. -Sun Tzu
Ronald Reagan versus Mikhail Gorbachev 1980-1988
To subdue the enemy without fighting
is the supreme excellence.-Sun Tzu
Ronald Reagan inherited a terrible economy, a nation with no
international respect, and a bold, expanding Soviet Union. He tossed
away the old concept of military parity along with the Carter concept of
capitulation and took it upon himself to defeat the Soviet Union.
Reagan recognized that a socialist economy barely functions. By
rebuilding American armed forces, Reagan challenged the Soviet Union to
keep up. They obliged. Our military spending increased to 27% of our
federal budget.
But the Soviets needed 60% of their budget to keep up. That math didn't
work well for the USSR. But the Soviets were willing to bleed their
people dry.
Nothing is more difficult than the art
of maneuvering for advantageous
positions.-Sun Tzu
Reagan had a stroke of brilliance. The Soviets relied upon hard currency
to maintain their straining military budget. And there was only one
source of Soviet hard currency; Oil. Reagan tripled the foreign aid to
Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to about 3 billion each, but under the
following conditions:
1-They stop fighting.
2-They buy American military hardware.
3-Saudi Arabia increase oil production to meet American demand.
The Saudi's opened up the oil spigots. Overnight, the price of oil
dropped below $20 per barrel. In one fell swoop, Reagan brought peace to
the middle east, boosted the American economy with lower energy prices,
and eliminated the only source of money to fund the Soviet army. It
actually became more expensive for the Russians to pump oil than it was
worth. The USSR was on its knees, ripe for defeat. Shortly after, Reagan
announced the Strategic Defense Initiative. The USSR tossed in its hand.
Within 24 months, the USSR was no longer in existence.
Until Clinton, our economy benefited from lower
oil prices and less military spending. All
because Reagan won the Cold War. That
victory wasn't the sum of efforts from previous presidents. Reagan alone
won the Cold War. Without firing a shot. Few give him credit for his
utter political brilliance. When Reagan left office, America held
unprecedented prestige and strength.
The victories won by a master of war
gain him neither reputation for wisdom
nor merit for courage. How subtle and
insubstantial, that the expert leaves
no trace. How divinely mysterious,
that he is inaudible. Thus, he is master
of his enemy's fate.-Sun Tzu
George Bush versus Saddaam Hussein 1990-1992
A speedy victory is the main object
in war.-Sun Tzu
Sometimes, diplomacy is as delicate as
gossamer. Sometimes diplomacy is
a sledgehammer. And sometimes, it's both.
The first serious challenge to George Bush's "New World Order" was
issued by Saddaam Hussein. Everyone knew Reagan didn't take any crap
from anyone. Like all bullies, Hussein was anxious to test the mettle of
this new president the press labeled as "Wimp."
Big mistake. Every world leader should know better than to believe the
American press. Not only did Bush have iron balls, he had brilliant
diplomatic skills. He actually knitted the whole world into a blanket
of agreement against Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. This political
accomplishment was like herding a hundred cats. Except cats with nuclear
claws, bad attitudes, and who often hated one another.
While we have heard of stupid haste in
war, we have not yet seen a clever
operation that was prolonged.-Sun Tzu
When the Gulf War was over, the United States enjoyed its peak influence
in the world. Nobody doubted any facet of our nation whatsoever. In less
than ten years, Reagan and Bush took America from laughingstock to
absolute respect. Say what you want about Bush. He was uncomfortable.
Boring. And he didn't discuss his underwear on MTV. But diplomatically,
he was brilliant, perhaps better than Reagan. He knew what had to be
done. He knew it was a monumental task. He knew how to do it. And he did
it. Bush left office with America unquestionably the only world
superpower, allies all over the globe, and very few enemies.
The general who in advancing does not seek
personal fame, and in withdrawing is not
concerned with avoiding punishment, but
whose only purpose is to protect the people
and promote the best interests of his sovereign
is like a precious jewel to the state.-Sun Tzu
Bill Clinton versus China
Appraise war in terms of the fundamental
factors. The first of these factors is moral
influence.-Sun Tzu
Befuddled Americans think Bill Clinton's major war is in Yugoslavia.
Actually, Clinton's war is with China. And he already lost. Under
Clinton's watch, China has successfully stolen, bought, or was simply
given the blueprints for every modern American nuclear weapon-and the
guidance systems to accurately deliver them. Like Reagan's brilliant
victory over the Soviet Union, China never fired a shot. They simply
waited until we had a corruptible president, and simply corrupted him.
One who is not acquainted with the
designs of his neighbors should not
enter into alliances with them.-Sun Tzu
Bill Clinton's political prostitution has never been questioned. It's
always been a matter of price. Wise world leaders have long recognized
Clinton as an egotistical political charlatan, capable of being elected
in a nation enamored with personality and ignorant of wisdom. Such
leaders aren't spun by James Carville and Dan Rather. Instead, they
laugh at Clinton's bumbling and self-aggrandizement. Then take advantage
of him. No wonder the Chinese wanted Clinton to be president.
All warfare is based on deception. There is
no place where espionage is not used. Offer
the enemy bait to lure him.-Sun Tzu
The political greed of Clinton and his Democrats drove them directly
into the Chinese espionage trap. Like all nations, China has been
snooping around for years, picking up a snippet here, a spoonful there.
But under Clinton's watch, China got the entire bag of goodies. It
wasn't even expensive. For a few million dollars to the DNC, China
gained complete access and even protection via Janet Reno's Justice
Department. When Clinton's people discovered the damage, they did
nothing. When the damage came to light, Clinton's administration tried
to blame everyone else. What could they do? Admit their treason?
Those who excel in war first cultivate their
own humanity and justice and maintain their
laws and institutions. By these means they
make their governments invincible.-Sun Tzu
Led by his pathological ego, Clinton breaks rules and laws at his,
victimizing friends and foes alike. In the meantime, he stumbles from
one manufactured crisis to another, all designed to cover his tracks. He
distracts the nation by flinging bombs across the world, converting
sleeping dogs into resentful enemies. Meanwhile, China picked our
pockets and built coalitions against us while Clinton parades around, a
team of flakes shilling for him. Clinton inherited a world that
respected America, and like a drunken gambler, parlayed American
prestige into the gutter. He managed to destroy the careful coalition of
nations aligned against Iraq. He ruined world confidence in NATO. He
managed to weaken Russia as a state, yet strengthen their diplomatic
presence. He strengthened China's hand unimaginably, creating
instability in the region. He simultaneously stoked the nuclear fires
between India and Pakistan, two wary but previously contented enemies.
Now, rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran are stretching their
claws, armed with Chinese missiles which can reach America. And Taiwan
is just a bit edgier today. When Clinton leaves office, America will
have less friends than his first day as President. Thanks to Reagan and
Bush, the United States isn't on her knees. But Clinton proved America
is willing to turn a few tricks for the right price.
When the leader is morally weak and his
discipline not strict, when his instructions
and guidance are not enlightened, when
there are no consistent rules. Neighboring
rulers will take advantage of this".-Sun Tzu
Every nation is perpetually at war. For a president,
every move, every word, every action has
consequences to the entire nation from that
moment well into the future. The concepts behind successfully leading a
nation are not new, but the arrogant and power-hungry seem to create
endless varieties of how to commit the same mistakes. The less we pay
attention, the greater damage each mistake creates.
On this Memorial Day, remember those who fought for our nation,
especially those who gave their lives so we may be free. Consider how
easily their sacrifice can be squandered. And how often it has happened.
And whether you will ever let that happen to another American son or
daughter.
War is a matter of vital importance to
the state; a matter of life or death, the
road either to survival or to ruin.-Sun Tzu
Regards,
Albin
(formerly of AR-15.com, still!!)