Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 2:13 " The common people lose seven-tenths of their wealth. Six-tenths of the public coffers are spent on broken chariots, worn-out horses, armour and helmets, crossbows and arrows, spears and bucklers, lances and shields, draft animals, heavy wagons."

Although the entire first portion of chapter 2 leads straight here, to catch up to speed you may want to at least read my commentary on these three preceding verses:

2:10 – bit.ly/2I3Y6hf

2:11 – bit.ly/2WXFC5d

2:12 – bit.ly/2E3jfUx

We've discussed the fact that some translators shy away from the term "the common people," where others embrace it. Our man, Minford, obviously embraces it and I agree. The ancients knew what the basis of wealth in a society was, and it wasn't those at the top.

It's one of the great, understandable, but utterly misguiding aspects of Communism/Socialism, that the fact of the workers historically determines the inescapable reality of class war. Yes, the basis of profit is labor. No, there need not be class war.

I cannot imagine any good and faithful Marxist reading this chapter and claiming Master Sun as his man. They never balk over taking, over destroying seven-tenths of the common people's wealth. 70% income tax seems to be absolutely beloved number for the left.

It never ceases to amaze me how much Master Sun cares for the common people, nor how protective of their wealth and well being he always is. It flies in the face of our assumptions about the ancients, and even about generals and warriors.

Through these 13 verses he drives his point relentlessly forward. We turn now to the public coffers, to discover they track the loss of wealth by the common people, and are only 10% less destroyed. How can we put this in today's terms?

For just a single measure, consider America's deficit, our borrowing against the future. As our debt load doubles, our wealth is halved. Have our decades of perpetual war depleted the public coffers? You'd better bet they have. @realDonaldTrump offers us the answer.

It's simple, he tells us. You have to stop spending $50 Billion per year for 19 years running in Afghanistan. As they say, a few billion here and a few billion there, and the numbers really start to add up! It's time to end our endless wars, and staunch the flow of dollars out.

Feel the relentless force of Master Sun's list of breakage and depletion:

* Broken Chariots
* Worn-out Horses
* Armour and Helmets
* Crossbows and Arrows
* Spears and Bucklers (small shields)
* Lances and Shields
* Draft Animals
* Heavy Wagons

Contemplate the workers and labor, the fine craftsman and repairmen required. Who fixes broken chariots? Who replenishes worn-out horses? Who makes and repairs the armory and its instruments? Who tends to draft animals, and makes and repairs heavy wagons?

In today's army, the instruments may seem different, but it's only a function of time and innovation. We have chariots, today, they just have engines. Crossbows and arrows are today's long guns and ammo. It's the same, functionally.

So, great news! Master Sun is finally about to offer us some sweet relief. We will begin working on the cure, tomorrow, with verse 14. I hope, however, that you'll never forget the first portion of this incredible chapter. Please review the previous ones and make them your own.

To return to previous sections in our #WarForAmerica2020 and #SunTzuForMAGA series, don't forget to head over to @WarForAmerica21.
And also, be sure to purchase John Minford's translation, here:

amazon.com/Art-War-Pengui…

And, to support this project please:

1) Retweet this thread's first tweet!

More advanced support can include:

2) Quote Retweet
3) Comment
4) Like, or
5) Apply steps 1 - 4 to other tweets
6) Use #WarForAmerica2020 & #SunTzuForMAGA often!

And finally, to more deeply understand:

Beginner's Level support: bit.ly/2WXFC5d

Advanced: bit.ly/2E50WhY