The lessons of History
I like reading Machiavelli. I like to read Sun Tzu. I'm fascinated by Rome and Napoleon and the Maya. I like history. Looking at history, there are many things that worry me about the direction that the US is moving in at the moment, particularly in Iraq.
First- Blackwater. This is the issue that got me thinking on this subject. Blackwater is effectively a mercinary group that we have hired to provide security in Iraq. Machiavelli rails in The Prince against the use of mercinaries. He provides excellent arguements against them saying that they are unreliable and outright dangerous. If they fail, they fail as your troops, if they succeed, you are reliant on them and lose control over their actions. Rome fell when it became reliant on mercinary troops, it's a practice that should be avoided.
Second- Both Machiavelli and Sun Tzu attack the practice of siege. Trying to win an extended engagement is dangerous because you get bogged down. "It blunts your edge" Sun Tzu says, to fight an extended war. The proper way to fight a battle is to strike, achieve your goals and leave, not to become involved in a protracted battle. It's a dangerous and expensive proposition. Napoleon learned about the danger of a long siege when he tried to attack Russia.
Third- Again, both thinkers attack the idea of fighting a desperate foe. Don't fight people who are fighting for their homes and families, and don't fight people who are cornered, people in those situations will struggle against you with everything they have and become almost impossible to defeat. We learned that ourselves in Vietnam.
Finally- War is part of running a country, I don't like to admit it, but there are situations when the use of military force is actually needed. Every thinker, however, in addition to the idea that conflict is part of ruling, has gone on to say that it should be rare and done properly. It should be rare, and only done when vital, because it involves the loss of human life, never to be taken lightly. It should be done properly because a war run well is less bloody, and causes less suffering than a war run poorly. The current administration, as one of many many sins, has failed to learn do either of these things, has gotten us into a purposeless and poorly run war.
Learn from the lessons of history.
Peace and love,
Joe!
By reading we enrich the
By reading we enrich the mind; by conversation we polish it. ?????
By reading we enrich the
By reading we enrich the mind; by conversation we polish it. ?????
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