Ruthlessness 101

The "The Art of War" was compiled over 2,000 years
ago by a mysterious Chinese philosopher/warrior Sun
Tzu. It is still perhaps the most influential book
of strategy in the world today. "The Art of War" is
as eagerly studied in Asia as it is in the rest of the
world by businessmen, politicians and military leaders
and strategists today as it was two millenia ago.

It was in Japan that "The Art of War" was applied to
modern politics and business when Japan went to a feudal
society to a corporate culture practically overnight.
Some see the success of post-war Japan directly linked
to the Sun Tzu dictum of the classic, "To win without
fighting is best."

The translation of "The Art of War" is presented from
the point of view of it's background in the spiritual
tradition of Taoism. Ruthlessness and power are tempered
with humanism, therefore "The Art of War" is not only a
book of war, but also of peace. A virtual tool for under-
standing the roots of conflict and attaining resolution.

The Taoist masters show how the man of aggressive
violence appears to be ruthless, but is really an
emotionalist. Then they slay the emotionalist with real
ruthlessness before revealing the spontaneous nature of
free humanity.

These are some exercises described in the book:

Strategic Assessments:
Military actions is important to the nation - it is
the ground of death and life, the path of survival and
destruction, so it is imperative to examine it.

Doing Battle:
When you do battle, even if you are winning, if you
continue for a long time it will dull your forces and
blunt your edge; if you besiege a citadel, your strength
will be exhausted. If you keep your armies out in the
field for a long time, your supplies will be insufficient.

Planning a Siege:
The general rule for use of the military is that it is
better to keep a nation intact than to destroy it. It
is better to keep an army intact than to destroy it, better
to keep a division intact than to destroy it, better to keep
a battalion intact than to destroy it, better to keep a unit
intact than to destroy it.

Formation:
In ancient times skillful warriors first made themselves
invincible, and then watched for vulnerability in their
opponents.

Force:
Governing a larger number as though governing a small number
is a matter of division into groups. Battling a large number
as though battling a small number is a matter of forms and
calls.

Emptiness and Fullness:
Those who are first on the battlefield and await the
opponents are at ease; those who are last on the battle-
field and head into battle get worn out.

Armed Struggle:
The ordinary rule for use of military force if for the
military command to receive the orders from the civilian
authorities, then to gather and mass the troops, quartering
them together. Nothing is harder than armed struggle.

Adaptations:
The general rule for military operations is that the military
leadership receives the order from the civilian leadership to
gather armies. Let there be no encampment on difficult
terrain. Let diplomatic relations be established at borders.
Do not stay in barren and isolated territories. When on
surrounded ground, plot. When on deadly ground, fight.

Maneuvering Armies:
Whenever you station an army to observe an opponent,
cut off the mountains and stay by the valleys. Watch the
light. Stay on the heights. When fighting on a hill, do not
climb. This applies to an army in the mountains. Fight going
down, not coming up.

Terrain:
Some terrain is easily passable, in some you get hung up,
some makes for a stand-off, some is narrow, some is steep,
some is wide open. When both sides can come and go it
is said to be passable. When the terrain is easily passable,
take up your position first, choosing the high and sunny side,
convenient to supply routes for advantage in battles.

Nine Grounds:
According to the rule for military operations,there are nine
kinds of ground; a ground of dissolution, a light ground,
a ground of contention, a trafficked ground, an intersecting
ground, a heavy ground, a bad ground,a surrounded ground
and a dying ground.

Fire Attack:
There are five kinds of fire attack; burning people,
burning supplies, burning equipment, burning storehouses
and burning weapons.

On the Use of Spies:
What enables an intelligent government and a wise
military leadership to overcome others and and achieve
extraordinary accomplishments is foreknowledge.
Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and
spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found
out by calculation. It must be obtained by people,
people who know the conditions of the enemy.

Perhaps the Paradox of "The Art of War" is it's
opposition to war. And as "The Art of War" wars
against war, it does so by it's own principals; it
infiltrates the enemy's lines, uncovers the enemy's
secrets and changes the hearts of the enemy's troops.