Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 6: 42 "Among the Five Elements there is no one constant supremacy."

The five elements. Alas. We might explore them for many years and never plumb the full depths of their insight. We might explore the differences and similarities to the Greek four elements. They're from the same time. Spend some time with this image, will you?

The first thing to note is that there are two cycles here. The perimeter exhibits generation, or creation. Earth generates/creates metal. Well, where do you find metal? Deep underground. You dig for it. You dig holes in the earth to find metal. Earth is metal's mother.

So, what's the metal/water thing? If you take a cold sword out of its sheath in warm, humid weather, you'll see water condense out of the air on your sword. Got it? Don't be too literal about the words 'generate' or 'create.' Attracts or coalesces might do just as well.

Water, wood, fire and earth are easy. Trees have roots that suck up water and grow. Wood is what we make fires with. Fires turn wood into ash, which is basically earth. Remember, don't be too strict with your definitions, you'll just get stuck.

That's the generation cycle, how one thing generates another. I can't just drop that. You might think, how quaint, in ancient China that they thought metal created water, ha, how silly. No, no, no, and may I say again, no? They noted causes and effects, which is actually science.

If you wish to understand the five elements you must be able to surrender to the cause and effect, profound science they embody. Stop being so Western, so modern for a moment. Find the roots of true scientific thinking. It's just causes and effects. Don't stop till you feel it.

Today's verse states that there is no single supremacy amongst these five. That comes from the overcoming cycle within, a delightful pentagram. As opposed to generation, or creation, we now have conflict and destruction. How deliciously Yin/Yang. Create vs Destroy.

We have to address the biggest problem. We think of plows as being made of metal, and we think of plows cutting up the earth, as opposed to the earth generating metal. Ah, but how modern of us! Ancient plows were made out of...wood.

If you don't believe me, check it out. Just punch "wood plows" into a search and you'll see exactly what they look like. Wood cuts earth. Wood is supreme! Next is the earth/water thing. Go pour a glass of water on the ground and observe what happens. The earth sucks it up, gone.

Think fire brigade and you instantly have the water/fire thing, water douses fire. Fire melts metal. And metal cuts wood. You really do want metal tools with which to make wood plows. Each element is supreme against the next one in the pentagram within.

Let's try for an easy application to the #MAGA world in which we fight, and study Master Sun. It won't be equally organized, but what are our five elements?

1) Executive
2) Legislative
3) Judiciary
4) The People
5) The Media - called The Press of old...

With just a bit of logical work, I bet we could find a generative cycle for the perimeter and an overcoming/supremacy cycle for the pentagram within. Tempting! But, let's turn back, now, to Master Sun's principle. There is no single supremacy amongst them.

Ah, we must have another set of five elements to map that out.

1) Republican Establishment
2) Democrat Establishment
3) Independent Swing Voters
4) Conservative Base
5) Liberal Base

If you look at both lists, you'll see that the first list must speak to the second.

If 2016 did nothing else, it proved Master Sun's counsel in today's verse. There is no single supreme constant. If 2018 did nothing else, it reaffirmed that lesson. What won in 2016, lost in 2018. There is no single supreme element. Never has been. Never will be.

The real question of the #MAGA movement is NOT, will we make The People the greatest of the five elements, supreme to all others? Rather, it is, will we allow The People to remain on the list at all? The greatness of America is NOT solely in her people. It requires all elements.

What @realDonaldTrump realized before he ran for office was this. We The People had been more than merely left behind. We suffered more than the loss of our seat at the table. We were in dire risk of extinction as a force within America at all.

It is this he has restored. We matter. We count. We have a say. Who is our executive? We decide. Who are our legislators? We decide. Who are our judges? We decide. It is We The People who have the power of choice. Yet, we are not the one element supreme.

But we can dominate others. And we cannot be destroyed. Now that is something. And, if Master Sun smiles on anything, it is when the people realize that they cannot be destroyed. You can feel it on every page of his book.

152 verses completed, 270 to go.

To return to previous sections in our #WarForAmerica2020 and #SunTzuForMAGA series, don't forget to head over to @WarForAmerica21. You'll find the digital table of contents for this series, there. Please retweet each entry you enjoy.