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The Art of War.
SUN TZU said:
"All warfare is based on deception."1a ZEDONG
" . . . [T]here has never been
a protracted war from which a country has benefited."1b
"Your aim must be to take
All-under-Heaven intact. Thus your troops are not worn out
and your gains will be complete. This is the art of offensive
strategy."1c GUEVARA
"Invincibility lies in
the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack."1d
CLAUSEWITZ
"There are occasions when the
commands of the sovereign need not be obeyed."1e
"By taking into account the favourable
factors, [the wise general] makes his plan feasible; by
taking into account the unfavourable, he may resolve the
difficulties."1f
"It is a doctrine of war not
to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness
to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but
rather to make one's self invincible."1g
"In war, numbers alone confer
no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power."1h
". . . 'Know the enemy,
know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. .
. '"1i
"Speed is the
essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness;
travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no
precautions."1j ZEDONG
GUEVARA
"Now the reason the
enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever
they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge."1k
"Delicate indeed! Truly
delicate! There is no place where espionage is not used."1l
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*
Italics in the original.
1 Sun Tzu (c. 600-500 BC). The
Art of War. Translated and with an Introduction by
Samuel B. Griffith. With a Foreword by B.H. Liddell Hart. Oxford,
UK: Oxford University Press, 1963. UNESCO Collection of
Representative Works Chinese Series.
a Ch. I ESTIMATES, v. 17, at 66.
b Ch. II WAGING WAR, v. 7, at 73.
c Ch III OFFENSIVE STRATEGY, v. 11, at 79.
d Ch. IV DISPOSITION, v. 5, at 85.
e Ch VIII THE NINE VARIABLES, v. 8, at 112.
f Ibid., v. 13, at 113.
g Ibid., v. 16, at 114.
h Ch IX MARCHES, v. 45, at 122.
i Ch X TERRAIN, v. 26, at 129.
j Ch XI THE NINE VARIETIES OF GROUND, v. 29, at 134.
k Ch XIII EMPLOYMENT OF SECRET AGENTS, v. 3, at 144.
l Ibid., v. 14, at 147.
MK-BOOKS-SUN TZU-20030512.
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