re: #404 Dark_Falcon

I’ve always been of the opinion that one cannot think of one’s soul when hunting terror masters. They must die, or they’ll destroy that which is good in the world. Best not to have feelings about killing them beyond that.

On the other hand, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

The point of strategy is not to destroy the other side but to make them do what you want them to do. As Sun Tzu put it:

1. In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

3. Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy’s plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.

4. The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided. The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more.

5. The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

6. Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

7. With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.

It seems to me that the modern form of warfare starts at third best, attacking armies in the field, and ends with sieges. It’s no small wonder that our wars are so inconclusive and bloody. Even Hamas with their rockets is essentially besieging Israel and it has accomplished nothing for them.

To be honest I’m not sure Hamas even know what their strategic goal is, nor do the Israelis. They’ve been locked in battle for so long they can’t imagine any other way now.