Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 3:1 "In war, better take a state intact than destroy it."

Chapter 3 is one of the most famous of all 13, and has quote after quote you've heard before, even if you don't remember. Honest. For all the many coming famous quotes, Master Sun starts out with his most fundamental point. Take. Don't break.

Take a look at Iraq. We broke it. Guess what? We failed to take it. Twice. We failed to remove Saddam the first time. And if you look today, guess what? Iran has more influence over Iraq than we do. We broke it. They took it. Who's smart and who's dumb?

Why do we do this again and again? We broke Vietnam and failed to take it. We broke Korea and while we took South Korea, we left the North to become the worst rogue state in the world. Contemplate it. There would be no nuclear armed Pakistan if it weren't for North Korea.

It's tempting to discuss our empire, the great American global empire, but let's not yield to that temptation today. Just focus on what it means to take a state intact. That's precisely what we did with Germany and Japan in WWII. Italy too, for that matter.

What about destroying a state? So sadly, that is precisely what we did in WWI to Germany. We broke it good and that's what led to Hitler. So also with Russia, at the same time. Think about it. When was the Russian revolution? 1917. We broke Russia and up pops the USSR.

Wait, we didn't fight Russia in WWI, did we? No, we didn't, but no matter. We broke it anyway. When a nation needs saving, and you fail, and you allow Communism to win its first nation, you broke it. Passive? Aggressive? No matter. We allowed the Bolsheviks their victory.

We have allowed Iran its victory over Iraq. What kind of stupid does that make us? There are no words. We must stop destroying nations. Oh, oh, oh...Libya. I've been meaning to talk about Libya. No, not Benghazi. Don't let me get started. Just Libya. Broken, eh? Destroyed?

We have to find our honest humility. We have been busy breaking, destroying nations, ever since WWII. We haven't taken any intact since. For my money, Libya is the worst of all. There was no call. We could have taken it. But instead, we broke it dead. And then came Benghazi.

I'll have to look. I don't think Master Sun ever uses the words strategy and tactics. He's not using them in today's verse, that's for sure. And yet, to take a state intact is a strategic act. To break one is tactical. Iraq. Shock and awe. I loved all that as I've confessed.

Every Tomahawk missile flying in was a tactical moment. Hey! Do you remember the antiquities museum? There was no plan for it. It was looted. That's what NOT having a strategic plan looks like. We broke Iraq and then gave it to Iran. Can you say strategically stupid?

So how do you take a state intact? There's only one way. Principles. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and property, these four. We secured them for Germany, Japan, and South Korea. That is how you take a state intact.

That is why @realDonaldTrump negotiates personally with President Xi and Kim Jung Un. His intention is to take North Korea intact. His intention is, ultimately, to take China intact. Ultimately? 8 years is not enough for China. It will be Trump's successor who wins China.

Let's turn now to you. What are you tempted to break? What is it, in your life, that you hate? Find it. Focus on it. Admit, confess, you too, like all of us, have hatred in your heart. It is that hatred that leads to breaking things. Strategy, go figure, depends on love.

Be kind. Let me say it again. Be kind. You can't take a state intact, you can't obey Master Sun, if you're not kind. Kindness is a strategy. It is the greatest strategy of all. Don't break. Take. Take whole. Take intact. And let's take Iraq back from Iran.

Sheesh.

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…