Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 8: 11 "There are rulers orders not to obey."

Did you, like me, have to read Thoreau's Civil Disobedience in high school? If I mention the Nuremberg Doctrine that soldiers may not claim they were merely following orders when commanded to do acts of unmitigated evil? If I say 1776, do you see the tie to Master Sun's command?

I'll share a personal story from 8th grade. I have always had a loud voice. So, when our teacher came into our classroom 10 minutes late one day, and there was pandemonium, she yelled out, Scopelliti, you be quiet. She'd heard my voice over the rest. The room silenced instantly.

Not thinking, just reacting, once the silence ripened I stated, loud and clear, that's not fair. The statement hung. Her face flushed. Mr. Scopelliti, you go to the principal’s office right now. Wait there till I write up your insubordination. I will, I said, but that's not fair.

Mind, I'd never been to the principal's office as an offender before. I was obedient and compliant. I was a good boy. I didn't cause trouble. And I was somewhat famous for my religious studies. So, when the principal saw me, he didn't know what to think.

He looked up from his work and asked, why are you here? I was insubordinate, Sir, according to my teacher. Were you, he said? No Sir, I was not. But she told me to wait here in your office until she finished writing it up for my permanent record.

I see, he said, and went back to work. As I recall, it was about 20 minutes later she stormed into the office and almost, not quite threw down her write up. Almost, not quite, she stormed out. He read it. He looked at me and said, tell me your side of this story.

I did. Never changing facial expression for a moment, he said, I believe you. Return to your class and we won't discuss this matter again.

I'm not sure I disobeyed any direct orders, but I do know that I disobeyed the unstated orders that day. Looking back, I can tell you that that was actually a moment of destiny for me. You can easily imagine how my social stock rose, none of the other kids would have done that.

And for a square, goody two shoes like me, well, social ripples fanned out, no kidding. The social order of the classroom empowered a teacher who'd been irresponsible herself to project her embarrassment on me, who she thought would surrender, humbly.

She had, evidently, misread me. So had I. I had no idea that I was an incipient rebel and natural radical. Allow me to cut forward to age 27, and maybe a few years after, when I struck out on my own as a consultant. I claim I have been fired more times than anyone you know.

It's been a long time since, and maybe I've grown soft in age, but boy did I used to get fired all the time. I finally analyzed my failure and discovered that I have a rule, a personal law if you will. Ask me. Do NOT tell me. If you want something, ask. I'll say yes or no.

Once I discovered the ASK, DON'T TELL rule, I began to learn - slowly, and from so many lost clients - to negotiate over that rule. I learned to let people know I don't respond well to orders or commands. Eventually, I got so good at it, I brag, I didn't need to explain anymore.

Master Sun is impatiently tapping on my shoulder right now. When, he asks, do we get to go over my story with the 160 concubines where I executed my lord's two most stunningly beautiful loves against his orders? Okay, Master, enough about me. Let's talk about you.

If you haven't read Master Sun's famous story, look it up. In essence, he actually conscripted 160 of his Lord's women, and, executing the two most beautiful for insubordination - against his Lord's orders - created a fighting squad out of the remaining 158.

Master Sun explained to his Lord - who had NOT yet hired him, this was merely a demonstration - that once the Lord has set a mission, it is on the General to determine the method of execution. When the Lord's orders reach down to execution level, the General must refuse.

I don't know the literature on military doctrine well enough to know if they credit Master Sun properly for the following concept: chain of command. He lays it out in his masterpiece again and again. Part of chain of command is when to obey, and when not to. Contemplate that.

It dawns upon me that my 8th grade encounter with power is actually, forgive the bragging, profoundly instructive. Power often employs social norms to enforce itself, without ever needing to give a direct order. In fact, the entire #MAGA movement is about breaking that power.

Here's an example. There are many places in America today where it is literally not safe to wear your MAGA hat. The social order prohibits it and threatens your safety should you disobey. My friend @BlakeBecker49 has an answer. He calls it #MAGAMonday.

@BlakeBecker49 He and his friends meet at a local diner, wearing their MAGA hats, and simply discuss what's going on, and what needs to get done, etc. By joining together, they are replicating the spirit of 1776. They are breaking the social norm of NOT wearing their hats.

@BlakeBecker49 What did they win for us in 1776? What did we enshrine in our bill of rights in 1789? Free speech. Free. As in, obey no man when speaking your mind and heart, obey only your own highest self. I have to end today's exploration, again, with my hero @realDonaldTrump.

@BlakeBecker49 @realDonaldTrump In my life, I never heard a politician speak so freely, or so courageously. To my eye, Trump has essentially created the power of political free speech. Who is his political consultant, his word or phrase testing operation? His attendees at his rallies. He listens to them.

@BlakeBecker49 @realDonaldTrump Master Sun tells us there are orders, ruler's orders not to obey. Whenever you're tempted to silence yourself, not speak your mind or heart, remember, the orders to keep silent may be 100% wrong. Remember, the only orders to accept, are those you agree with. You're free.

@BlakeBecker49 @realDonaldTrump 210 verses completed, 212 to go.

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