The Art of War by Sun Tzu was very popular at one time. Sun Tzu, or Sun Wu, composed the book sometime between 500 B.C. and 221 B.C. There is scholarly disagreement as to the exact date. The dates above pretty much correspond to the "Warring States" period, and that is enough of the book's provenance.
Chapter 2
Waging War
Sun Tzu said:
...
(4) When the army engages in protracted campaigns, the resources of the state will not suffice.
Chang Yu [comments:] ...the campaigns of the emperor Wu of the Han dragged on with no result, and after the treasury was emptied, he issued a mournful edict.
(5) When weapons are dulled and ardor damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future.
(6) Thus, while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.
(7) For there has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.
Li Ch'uan [comments:] The Spring and Autumn Annals say: 'War is like unto fire; those who will not put aside weapons are themselves consumed by them.'
source: Sun Tzu: The Art of War, Samuel B. Griffith, Oxford University Press, 1963
I think our wars certainly come under the heading of "Protracted". We knew when we started that they would be expensive. We differed in that I said they would impoverish us, the Bush Neo-cons said that Iraq's oil would pay for that scheme, and Afghanistan was a minor thing.
--
reprint
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment