Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #SunTzu
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I’m guessing the strategists in
#China🇨🇳 are laughing at the hysterical response to high-altitude balloon intrusions from the #Biden Administration. 🧵
#China🇨🇳 are laughing at the hysterical response to high-altitude balloon intrusions from the #Biden Administration. 🧵
I’m guessing these types of #US🇺🇸 aircraft have been intruding on Chinese territory.
af.mil/About-Us/Fact-…
af.mil/About-Us/Fact-…
If the that’s true, China has issued a warning about overflights.
“#China🇨🇳 will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.”
apnews.com/article/politi…
“#China🇨🇳 will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.”
apnews.com/article/politi…
1/ #SunTzu is credited for the phrase “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak”. This phrase makes sense in warfare. Lets try to analyze the Russian invasion of #Ukraine in this context. Hopefully, this will shed light on the inner workings of the conflict. 
There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general;
1. Recklessness, which leads to destruction.
1. Recklessness, which leads to destruction.
2. cowardice, which leads to capture,
3. a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
1/n #SunTzuWithMe Everyone has heard about Sun Tzu. ‘Art of War’ must have sold millions of copies. 2500 years and it still hits bulls eye!! I will, over a period, take you through what exactly did he write and how does it effect us, governance, business and life? Contd...
2/n #SunTzuWithMe 2500 yrs back he pointed out a BIG FLAW in Chinese Army. Officers in Administration studied ‘military tactics’ late in service and came to command while actual military officers could never reach highest levels. FAMILIAR?? NSA? DefSecy? Cadre Offrs? IPS?
3/n #SunTzuWithMe These people without experience ‘directed operations’ in time of war while experienced military officers executed. This system brought disaster to the Army. What he write then can be seen today. #Galwan Do not play with organisation is the simple lesson.
THREAD: //#GeorgeFloydprotest ET AL//
I want to take a moment to remind people,
the history of all these types of "movements",
back to the #FrenchRevolution & beyond,
Is one of controlled opposition--#SunTzu, #Machiavelli, #GameTheory--and beyond.
If you don't think they stage all this with outcomes in mind...
the history of all these types of "movements",
back to the #FrenchRevolution & beyond,
Is one of controlled opposition--#SunTzu, #Machiavelli, #GameTheory--and beyond.
If you don't think they stage all this with outcomes in mind...
Please keep reading.
You'd be better served to look up #Cointelpro, especially in relation to past movements in the Black Community i.e. #MLK #MalcolmX and even #TupacShakur [LINK: ]
You'd be better served to look up #Cointelpro, especially in relation to past movements in the Black Community i.e. #MLK #MalcolmX and even #TupacShakur [LINK: ]
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.
#SunTzu
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.
#SunTzu
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.
These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.
#SunTzu
#SunTzu
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 11 "When troops are strong but officers weak, the result is impotence."
Did we win the Korean War? I'd have to say not. Some sort of half-measured thing like North and South Korea cannot count for victory, can it? And then, Clinton negotiated - by which I mean gave away - nuclear proliferation to North Korea in the 1990s.
It is a phenomenon of the post WWII era, that America - with its strong people and rich economy - props up Communist nations, giving them our productivity and suffering the consequences, impotently. They would collapse without our money and spiritual force.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 10 "If the relative strengths are matched, but one army faces another ten times its size, the outcome is flight."
If you've followed any of the work leading here so far, you know how HUGE a fan of both Master Sun and John Minford I am. I blame neither one for anything here. I just disagree. That is, this verse, nah, I'm not buying it. I'll explain.
During the many centuries following Master Sun's great work, and leading up to Minford's near perfect translation, some of the verses were pretty much certain to get messed up. Little bamboo strips tied in strings, copied, etc. Someone was like to get something wrong.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 9 "In War, the following are not natural calamities, but the fault of the general:
Flight
Impotence,
Decay,
Collapse,
Chaos,
Rout."
Flight
Impotence,
Decay,
Collapse,
Chaos,
Rout."
I've heard tell that the one and only, most important fallacy of the left is that our leaders cannot be questioned. If there's a single point obliterated by today's verse, it is that leaders must not be questioned.
We'll work through each of the general's failures carefully in coming days. Right now, just go quick. Where is America in flight? Where impotent? What decay to do you see and witness? Collapse, are we collapsing anywhere? What about chaos and rout?
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 8 "These six constitute the Way of Terrain. It is the general's duty to study them diligently."
Which six? Those we've gone over, and which were listed in verse 1:
1) Accessible
2) Entangling
3) Deadlock
4) Enclosed
5) Precipitous
6) Distant
1) Accessible
2) Entangling
3) Deadlock
4) Enclosed
5) Precipitous
6) Distant
Don't be upset if you can't remember them, or even if you've been keeping yet they look as foreign as can be. That's the very purpose of today's verse. Joyfully, Master Sun knows you can't remember these things at a glance. He couldn't either, and neither can I.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 7 "On distant terrain, when strengths are matched, it is hard to provoke battle, and an engagement will not be advantageous."
So, what is distant terrain? I first thought it was where I am far from my base and my enemy is near to his. How wrong was I? No, and thank goodness for our commentators!, it only means where I am far away from my enemy. We're NOT near each other. Distant.
Yet Master Sun throws in an additional parameter. Strengths are matched. Now that's interesting. If my strength is greater than my enemy's, then I can march there slowly, arrive where he is, rest up, set up camp, and attack at will. That's not the point. Strengths are matched.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 6 "On precipitous terrain, if we occupy it first, we should hold the Yang heights and wait for the enemy. If the enemy occupies it first, do not go after him, but entice him out by retreating."
I teach my granddaughter to cheat in school, and it drives my wife crazy. I then explain, I don't mean cheat as in looking at someone else's answers. I mean, use your calculator for calculations. They both laugh, but my wife still squints at me. She doesn't approve of cheating.
Cracking the code of these verses, 1 - 8 here in chapter 10, requires what would, in old days, have been called cheating. That is, you kind of need to read ahead in the rest of the chapter. That's what I just did. I had a strange idea. Retreat is the key to these first 8 verses.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 5 "On enclosed terrain, if we occupy it first, we must block it and wait for the enemy. If he occupies it first and blocks it, do not go after him; if he does not block it, then go after him."
Oh, thank goodness, my commentators lent a helping hand! What is enclosed terrain? Tactically, it is a level plain enclosed by high mountain sides with a narrow entrance. Now that's something I can picture, yes? Viewing it in mind, you can then follow tactical counsel.
If you get there first, you have to both occupy the terrain with your own forces, and most especially, block off the entrance. It's got to be deadly dangerous for your enemy to attempt to enter in. Picture great wooden stakes, sharpened to a point, facing outward.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 4 "'Deadlock' means that neither side finds it advantageous to make a move. On deadlock terrain, even if our enemy offers a bait, we do not make a move; we lure him out; we retreat. And when half his troops are out, that is our moment to strike."
Not sure why, but this verse was a bit harder for me to catch, today, than in quite some time. Maybe it's partly because our commentators don't seem to break it down for us very well, and I saw no concrete illustrations of the actual tactics described. I hate that.
So, back to my usual tricks:
1) Neither side can move well.
2) Don't accept any bait proffered.
3) Lure the enemy out craftily.
4) Retreat, until half his troops our out.
5) Strike with confidence for victory.
1) Neither side can move well.
2) Don't accept any bait proffered.
3) Lure the enemy out craftily.
4) Retreat, until half his troops our out.
5) Strike with confidence for victory.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 3 "'Entangling' means that advance is possible, withdrawal hard. On entangling terrain, if the enemy is unprepared, go out and defeat him. But if he is prepared, and our move fails, it will be hard to retreat. The outcome will not be to our advantage."
How often in life do we get entangled? The wrong job, the wrong girl, the wrong friends, and most certainly the wrong habits, the wrong decisions. It's all so easy to get started, so difficult to extract oneself. I noticed myself get entangled earlier today, no kidding.
Yeah, you guessed it, it was that damn temper of mine. Someone here on Twitter pissed me off and I let my fingers fly. I didn't go off halfcocked, but my tone was all wrong. Finally, I withdrew, and then later, apologized. It's unlikely the apology will do much good.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 2 "'Accessible' means that both sides can come and go freely. On accessible terrain, he who occupies High Yang ground and ensures his line of supplies will fight to advantage."
Oh my do the commentators go off, and our translators as well. Neither Giles nor Minford approve of this chapter's basis in six forms of terrain. I apologize, but I want to smack them both. Lighten up. It's just a different analysis than we find elsewhere. It's all good.
I won't go off on that again. The commentators need to own up to their respect for their master. Let's us just dive in. Accessible terrain means that both sides can come and go freely. That's a beautiful definition. In America, that's just called fair and balanced.
John Minford, #SunTzu 10: 1 " There are different forms of terrain:
Accessible terrain,
Entangling terrain,
Deadlock terrain,
Enclosed terrain,
Precipitous terrain,
Distant terrain."
Accessible terrain,
Entangling terrain,
Deadlock terrain,
Enclosed terrain,
Precipitous terrain,
Distant terrain."
Oh my do our translators and commentators go off on today's verse. They all hate it, to a man. Logic. Perfect definitions. Repetitions. False distinctions. Oh, do they attack our master on this one!
You know me, I always use the following assumption, Master Sun may be right, and even if not, even if he doesn't care about be right, he's always informative, instructive, purposeful. And if you skip ahead, you'll find all the definitions. How wonderful.
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 55 "When orders are consistent and effective, general and troops enjoy mutual trust."
When has that been the case? When have the orders been both consistent and effective? Do you recall? I don't. To my recollection they never have been. I was born in 1960. From then till now, our marching orders have been weak. That's NOT an attack against Trump.
Trump puts everything he's got into a rally. He holds nothing back. And, rallied, we show up to vote. Who could ask anything more from him? Certainly NOT me! I honor my leader. I am grateful to him with my whole heart. He leads and to the degree we follow, we win.
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 44 "Consistent and effective orders inspire obedience; inconsistent and ineffective orders provoke disobedience."
How well do you know @realDonaldTrump's story? I want you to picture something. Here it is, the early 70s and drug culture has taken over the night life of Manhattan. And yet, no drugs, no alcohol for young Donald at all. Contemplate the term self-obedience, will you?
@realDonaldTrump At the very heart and soul of a man's ability to obey orders handed down from above is his ability to live by laws he stipulates for himself from within. If you can't obey your own rules, how will you ever obey the orders commanded by others?
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 53 "Command them with civility, rally them with martial discipline, and you will win their confidence."
Many of you who follow this #SunTzuForMAGA series are aware of my other great mission, #PardonFlynnNow. As loyal to @GenFlynn as I am, and I am!, my mission is NOT solely due to his need or his justice, much as he deserves it. Few seem to realize his rally powers.
@GenFlynn There can be no doubt, however, that the Obama administration observed his ability to rally any MAGA audience, but most especially, veterans. Gen Flynn IS the veteran's voice. They'd already targeted him before. That just cemented their decision.
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 52 "Discipline troops before they are loyal, and they will be refractory and hard to put to good use. Let loyal troops go undisciplined, and they will be altogether useless."
I've made both mistakes, over and over again. I am fierce when I shouldn't be, and soft when I shouldn't be, and I foolishly oscillate between them. I've confessed for decades that I suck at leadership. And yet, the older I grow, the more leadership is demanded of me.
I had a great joy, last night. I was on @JohnBWellsCTM show, and we spent a fair amount of time discussing how we have destroyed - how we have allowed the Alinsky curriculum into - our educations system. My interview starts about at 1:30:
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 51 "Rashly underestimate your enemy, and you will surely be taken captive."
There's no need to review how rashly we underestimated our enemy since 1913. It was nothing less than the complete and utter destruction of our Constitutional freedoms. We've mapped that out. Well, I'm not quite sure the connection is 100%. Let's cover that to make sure.
Progress should be an American term, one rooted in our Declaration and our Constitution. We created more progress than any other nation in the history of the world. Yet, somehow, the Progressives sold us that we must destroy our Constitution, and the year was 1913.
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 50
(49) "In war, numbers are not the issue.
(50) “It is a question of not attacking too aggressively. Concentrate your strength, assess your army, and win the confidence of your men: that is enough."
(49) "In war, numbers are not the issue.
(50) “It is a question of not attacking too aggressively. Concentrate your strength, assess your army, and win the confidence of your men: that is enough."
Let's list out our steps:
1) Don't attack too aggressively
2) Concentrate your strength
3) Assess your enemy
4) Win the confidence of your men
5) That is enough
1) Don't attack too aggressively
2) Concentrate your strength
3) Assess your enemy
4) Win the confidence of your men
5) That is enough
1) Don't attack too aggressively
While I stand behind Master Sun's guidance, on this point, I suspect @realDonaldTrump does not, and we should discuss that. For 100 years our politicians have gone along to get along. They've sold us out. They've never been willing to fight.
While I stand behind Master Sun's guidance, on this point, I suspect @realDonaldTrump does not, and we should discuss that. For 100 years our politicians have gone along to get along. They've sold us out. They've never been willing to fight.
John Minford, #SunTzu 9: 49 "In war, numbers are not the issue."
50) "It is a question of not attacking too aggressively. Concentrate your strength, assess your army, and win the confidence of your men: that is enough."
50) "It is a question of not attacking too aggressively. Concentrate your strength, assess your army, and win the confidence of your men: that is enough."
As you may have noticed before, there are random times when our translator's "versing" decisions stump me a bit. Today's verse is just such. Interestingly, Minford visually ties these two verses together, but still uses the indentation method of separating them.
I really do find that fantastically interesting. Consider. Verse 50 is rather easy to follow and fits perfectly with everything we've learned so far. Yet 49 is simply incongruous at first. As I meditated on that this morning, I came to completely agree with Minford's decision.
