Campaign

Campaign

• noun

1. a series of military operations intended to achieve an objective in a particular area

2. an organized course of action to achieve a goal

• verb

work in an organized way towards a goal

• derivative

campaigner (noun)

• origin

French campagne ‘open country’, from Latin campus ‘level ground’; the modern sense arose from an army’s practice of moving from a fortress or town to open country in spring.

There are two campaigns being waged currently, both of which are multilayered. The Presidential Campaign and the Campaign in the Middle East. Campaign is synonymous with war.

The oldest treatise on war is Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. There is also another book of the same name by Niccolo Machiavelli.

Reading these two books is mandatory for military leaders. They have also become very popular in the last few years with business leaders and a few others. The books give insight in how to wage a campaign.

I was going over my copy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War when it struck me how many of his recommendations and teachings the US has ignored or forgotten. I then placed myself on the other side and realized just how closely they are holding to the tenets of both Sun Tzu and Machiavelli. Then, as is usual, my mind wandered and I thought about the protracted political campaigning and I was reminded of one of Sun Tzu’s aphorisms: “There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”

I think perhaps Fred Thompson or someone on his staff read and remembered this.

Reuters reports that: “Wall Street analysts predict television stations alone could bring in a record $2 billion to $3 billion from the 2008 election cycle, up from $1.6 billion in 2006 and $900 million in 2004.” All this for a $400,000 a year salary? Ask yourself why!

I read of the various flip-flops of these supposed want-to-be Presidents and again Sun Tzu’s words ring loud: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

I then think of some of our elected officials whom in the days of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli would be put to death for their traitorous behavior. For as Machiavelli said, “The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed… And above all you ought to guard against leading an army to fight which is afraid or which is not confident of victory. For the greatest sign of an impending loss is when one does not believe one can win.” The words of some of our alleged leaders both encourage the enemy and demoralize our fighting forces.

Sun Tzu said: “The art of war is of vital importance to the State…. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.” Think about that as you make your choice in the coming months. Vote for the person you will be willing to support with your life — because in this current period of history with the behind the scenes manipulations of China and Russia — you just might have to!

Both of these treatises are available to read online.