Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 4:5 "Invulnerability is defence [British spelling], vulnerability is attack."

Minford's spelling makes me think of Tato, from Fantasy Island and his beloved, "The Plane, The Plane!" I hear him on stage at a rally, "The Fence, The Fence, The Wall, The Wall!" I wish he were still alive and we had him on our side, don't you?

Which brings up a generational point. Many of our children and grand children have no idea what I'm talking about, above. One of the things I try to do with my young friends is explain cultural references. They're part of our shared treasure as a society.

That's why a time machine is my favorite mental tool, and also why I adore historical movies and novels. It's also part of my method of reading Master Sun's work, through Minford's translation. Consider the word "attack." Why didn't Minford choose "offense." I have a theory.

When I first began studying swordsmanship, I blundered into the phrase, "to be offended." I had to bend my brain around that. My reaction was, we're all here to practice swordsmanship, why would I be offended just because you're attacking me with a safe, practice sword?

It took me months, no kidding, the wrap my brain around a simple fact. The words "offense" and "offend," which are obviously the precise opposite of "defense" and "defend," are OLDER than our modern, politically correct way of thinking.

I was shocked to discover - and me of all people - how deeply PC thinking had embedded itself into my psyche. In PC speech, to be offended is an emotional thing from within, not an attack from without. It is, in that way, the exact opposite in meaning from what it once signified.

Stick this out, you need it. You've worked on your stance and are completely comfortable on your feet, and hold your sword loose and sweet and ready for action. Your enemy steps forward, but his gait is off balance, his attack is slow, you see it coming. You ward it off easily.

In a smooth flow, your weapon, continuing its arc is at your enemy's throat before he's even realized his own weapon as fallen to the floor. Clearly, your defense and attack were seamlessly one action. Bravo. You have offended with perfect success. But that word! To offend...

So that's my theory. The word "attack" has somehow escaped PC thought controls, whereas they've damnably stolen the word "offense." I know, I know, not in football or hockey, aha!, at least not yet. I'm telling, they're coming for our sports as you know.

Now let's get back to Master Sun's guidance, and we'll comfortably use either "attack" or "offend" to mean the same thing. Invulnerability = defense; vulnerability means offense. Huh? How's that? You have to remember who's who (who remembers Who's On First?).

YOU are invulnerable. You are in a position to secure your safety without worry or fear. It will not be fun to attack you. That is defense.

Your ENEMY is vulnerable. Dancing all over the place, hoping to find a spot to attack and maybe win something, off balance, flailing away.

When your enemy is vulnerable, it is time for you to move into instant, forward action and attack. It is HIS vulnerability that triggers your offense in action. You will strike. You will attack. You will offend. He won't know what hit him. He'll have no time to defend, at all.

Don't worry, there will be no quiz. You do NOT have to remember all this for a very powerful reason. Master Sun knows you have to go over it again and again, and for some several verses more, he's going to take care of that for you. But, it really will help to visualize.

I try not to be politically correct anymore. So, I'm going to tell you what offends me. The birth and life story of America, Herself, is the greatest story in the history of nations. She lives in the minds and lives of Her every citizen, and in our laws and culture.

She is under the most vicious attack from within in Her life. There's a burning rage within my soul over this attack, and I am in every way offended. Knowing that my rage will blind me, I work to cool it down, and never act from mere anger alone. Invulnerable defense demands it.

Forget about me. I burn with rage in my soul over how we, America's children, have allowed this attack, serving and supporting it with our complacency, apathy, laziness, self-serving ignorance, even our unwillingness to rise in responsibility to Her, our mother.

I seethe with burning rage every single time I hear of this committee in the House, or that one, or even have to listen to Nancy Pelosi stutter and stammer her weak defense of her problem children. How could we allow this? We had two years to prepare, and yet we were vulnerable.

With his soft, soothing voice, Master Sun comforts me. You didn't know your enemy, he repeats. You didn't know yourself, he repeats. You know what happens when you don't know either of the two of you. Your defense couldn't have helped but be vulnerable. So sad.

And, he continues, you must admit that even when you were in the temple, planning, you were mostly alone. You did not create a proper basis of temple time for your movement. Who spent time in the temple with you? The winner is the one who spends the most time in the temple.

But that's enough for one lesson, my son, says Master Sun. We'll return to this topic tomorrow to be sure. And, between now and then, maybe a little more temple time, eh?

I do love his so-soft evil smile. He comforts me.

To return to previous sections in our #WarForAmerica2020 and #SunTzuForMAGA series, don't forget to head over to @WarForAmerica21.

65 verses completed, 357 to go. And also, be sure to purchase John Minford's translation, here:

amazon.com/Art-War-Pengui…

P.S. A man's name matters. It's Tattoo from Fantasy Island. Silly me.