Did Wes Clark really read Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" seven times ??

[kentuck]

:) to know that a small psychological victory can sometimes demoralize an enemy? There are those that say he only got eight votes in Dixville Notch so it doesn't mean anything. But is that really so? Is it meaningless?

[Tom Rinaldo]

1. Ususally meaningless, but not this time

The media has been pounding all day on their Clark is dead theme. Now they have to report this too, because, well, it's a cute little media tradition to report the "early results", and it just kind of steps on the message they've been hammering. Sweet.

[LandOLincoln]

4. This is good. This is really, really good.

So why are we watching John Edwards now??(God love 'im, he'll be a great president-in-training for 2012.)

[Leilani]

14. First thing everyone sees tomorrow A.M.

It could influence some Undecideds.

[dae]

2. May they all choke on crow.

[LandOLincoln]

5. Stop it. We're all Democrats here. This is a good, good night

for all of us. Please don't spoil it.

[funky_bug]

3. Clark is sunk now

We can't have a President who reads... himself... with a book and stuff...

/sarcasm off!

WTG WES!!!!!!!!!

[LZ1234]

6. Did you know that Bush

doesn't even read the newspaper? He considers it "opinion." Isn't that disgraceful? I'm trying to get my kids to read the newspapers and here's the president thinking he's too "smart" to read.

[mdmc]

8. Well if God assured me that i would be reelected

it would be nothing but zap comics for me! Bush is a bad educational role model.

[LZ1234]

10. LOL

:D

[funky_bug]

13. Yeah... I told my son that once

And when we went to the FL convention, he used his own money to buy a button with Bush on it... reading a book to some kids... the book is upside down. He friggin' wears that button to school, and he's only 11. What can I say...gotta raise 'em early, and raise 'em right.

[creativelcro]

7. Gingrich used to brag about reading that... Ahem..

[Kinkistyle]

9. I would hope ALL soldiers read it.

Its probably the most basic treatise on military strategy and tactics. Alot of it is common sense, but then again, a lot of people lost track of it. If the warheads in the white house actually took the words to heart, Iraq probably never would have happened, because one of the main tenets that Sun Tzu espouses is that more than anything it is better to conquer a country by winning over their hearts and minds than by military force.

[11cents]

11. I do believe the Big Dog read it too

I imagine everyone at West Point reads it, along with Clausewitz.

[KissMyAsscroft]

12. Yeah but you cant pump oil through hearts and minds...

nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. So says Tzu:

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective. - Sun-tzu, The Art of War. Strategic Assessments

[Maddy McCall]

16. Sound like Eisenhower

[Jerseycoa]

17. Cool

Maybe we should all read it.

[mikehiggins]

18. So THAT'S what Bush is doing. Acting incompetent. No wait

he can't be THAT good an actor.

[LiberalBushFan]

22. It is what the Bush administration is doing

By using Bush, a geniune retard, as their mascot, it makes them appear as a whole incompetent. But in fact they're doing a great job of achieving what they want to achieve.

[Bucky]

19. It's a really short book -- maybe 3000 words total

And of course the nature of war--deception--is the exact opposite of the nature of democratic politics, which requires bandwagoning. I think Clark knows this.

[ShaneGR]

20. ANY officer at West Point would have read it at least 5 times

It would be covered in at least 5 classes during a career.

[sweetheart]

21. If you really want sun tzu's lesson, burn his book.

The book says as much, that a truly wise general is beyond being predicted in a book of rules.

Sorta on the concept of: "if you meet the buddha on the road, kill him."... meaning in buddhist parlance, that an external buddha would imply that you think the buddha is outside of yourself... and that awakening is realizing the outside and inside buddha's are one... i think i'd edit that line to be "if you meet the buddha on the road, awaken." Just western mind likes killing boogeymen.

The part of this quote that supports the esoteric point to burn the book. I'm sure i've read better translations of this, but in any case, the bold
26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.
http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html

[TexasSissy]

23. Most men in business are reading that book. It's a "guy thing."

Many men at my company have been reading that book for the last several years. You know how some books get popular among certain groups of people. I think it's a guy thing. Haven't heard of any women reading it.

[arewethereyet]

24. I've read it many times

we'll see if he can apply it to this.

He missed out on the most important principle, that it takes a year to prepare for a war. But it probably explains Iowa (the wise leader does not enter into a battle that he does not already know he will win).