Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 8: 10 " There are terrains not to contest."

You can't bring both an army, and its supplies up high mountains, normally. And, if you do, what if you discover a gorge where there simply is no passing? Even Hannibal with his elephants who did succeed is passing through the Alps, still lost in Italy.

The terrains Master Sun refers to here are defined by their inability to sustain your army. You know, considering that his work was first translated into French in 1772, I really do have to sign on with the theorists who think Napoleon read him. We're talking logistics here.

If you want to conquer Los Angeles, do you really need to contest Death Valley? Do you need to conquer the Sierra Nevada mountains? Not at all. Just walk on by. Go around - or with today's technology - fly right on over. Whatever you do, don't fight on mountains or in deserts.

Socialism is a desert. It is barren and dry, old and stale, and offers no sustenance. Have we really faced the morality tale of Venezuela? Everyone knows that 20 years ago it was the richest nation in South America. Everyone knows that it is in utter collapse now, destroyed.

Communism is, actually, even worse. The USSR's Stalin period was worse even than Venezuela or today's Norway or Sweden. Purposeful destruction is, somehow, worse than accidental destruction. Neither is good. Both are deserts. Communism is just a more deadly desert. Go figure.

If it weren't so deadly dangerous, it would be funny that Socialism is but Communism-lite. No, you can't wipe out America in the same 20 years that took out Venezuela. But, in 30 - 40 years, very likely you can. And me? I'd date the beginning of that serious trend to 2010.

Obamacare - and its deep seated roots in the Republican Party - is the most dangerous threat we face. If a healthcare for all Democrat wins 2020, I honestly fear that free America will die. I don't think one will win, but to be complacent is obviously not an option.

Enough on the desert. What about the mountain? For me, it was Libertarianism. After I left my youthful desert of Socialism, I naturally found my way to the mountain were Frederic Bastiat is the prophet. Radicals are always idealists. And I'm an absolutely natural radical.

By the way, if you haven't read The Law...you must! It's even free and here's the link. Ideals are very important. And, read rightly, they always inform the most practical action. Here you go:

mises.org/sites/default/…

The Law is, in its own way, a companion volume to our Declaration of Independence. Bastiat, who published it in 1850, was obviously a great student of Jefferson's. In it, he works out the ideals of Life, Liberty, and Property to a point of fine detail. It's glorious.

I loved the high altitude and glorious view of the stars at night on the high mountain of my idealistic Libertarianism. I was probably beyond that, and close to being an Anarcho-Capitalist. I don't like police having the power to hit a siren and pull me over at their will.

Sadly, it was @realDonaldTrump who dragged me down the mountain, back into the messy valley of real time politics. As I was studying my way into supporting him, I realized, you can't support Trump and be a strict Libertarian. And, I've since had that confirmed many times.

@realDonaldTrump As you'd imagine, I bump into Libertarians all the time, and some of them are great friends. To a soul, not one of them is comfortable with Trump. They're right not to be. He does not live on that mountain.

@realDonaldTrump Here's the ultimate example. Tax. Specifically, Income Tax. We did fine building America without it up until 1913. 106 years later, there's just no way to get back there from here. If you 100% oppose income tax, you can't be on Trump's train, not fully. That was my conversion.

@realDonaldTrump No, I'll NEVER agree that the Income Tax is a good thing. But, I had to give up my high mountain position of opposing it 100%. Damn that hurt. I wasn't a young man anymore in 2016. How many conversions can one guy suffer?

@realDonaldTrump The way I got there was this. I simply converted from idealism to realism, with Trump as my teacher. I'll always hate him a little for that, you know? I LOVED being a high mountain Libertarian. I really did. More than being a Trump supporter. I really loved those days. Alas.

@realDonaldTrump Here's another example of terrain to not contest right now. A balanced budget where we reduce the national debt. We can't get there from here, right now. If we'd wanted that, we needed to step up our game in 2018. With a Democrat controlled House, no chance right now.

@realDonaldTrump And then there are those damnable Republicans who pine and reminisce about the good old days before Trump. Pork Barrel Republicans are not easy to break up with. So, how in the real world can we balance the budget? Why, we'd have to put #MAGA men and women in, for real.

@realDonaldTrump The way to conquer mountains is to conquer the valleys on each side. We need both House and Senate, and we need lots more #MAGA men and women in them. Other than that, forget about reducing debt. Not going to happen.

@realDonaldTrump What about you? Consider this mountain to not contest upon. Your expectations of your children's lives. I won't tell any stories. I'll simply state, that among my adult children - 4 of them - I have found I must let go. Completely. I didn't create them. They belong to themselves.

@realDonaldTrump Realism trumps idealism. But we still need mountains, vistas, distant horizons by which to orient our efforts. No, we won't erase the horizon. Yes, we can walk towards it. And we can fight and win along the way, down here in the real world.

@realDonaldTrump 209 verses completed, 215 to go.

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