Today, we'll take a look at Chapter 4 of Sun-Tzu's "The Art of War", called "Formation". You can find the previous chapters in these diaries:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
The translation is from Sonshi.com, and reprinted with permission. The entire book, along with an excellent resource library, forums, and commentary, is available there.
SUN-TZU: THE PRINCIPLES OF WARFARE
"THE ART OF WAR"
Chapter Four: Formation
Sun Tzu said:
In ancient times, those skilled in warfare make themselves invincible and then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.
Being invincible depends on oneself, but the enemy becoming vulnerable depends on himself.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare can make themselves invincible, but cannot necessarily cause the enemy to be vulnerable.
Therefore it is said one may know how to win but cannot necessarily do it.
One takes on invincibility defending, one takes on vulnerability attacking.
One takes on sufficiency defending, one takes on deficiency attacking.
Those skilled in defense conceal themselves in the lowest depths of the Earth, Those skilled in attack move in the highest reaches of the Heavens.
Therefore, they are able to protect themselves and achieve complete victory.
Perceiving a victory when it is perceived by all is not the highest excellence.
Winning battles such that the whole world says "excellent" is not the highest excellence.
For lifting an autumn down is not considered great strength, seeing the sun and the moon is not considered a sign of sharp vision, hearing thunder is not considered a sign of sensitive hearing.
In ancient times, those who are skilled in warfare gained victory where victory was easily gained.
Therefore, the victories from those skilled in warfare are not considered of great wisdom or courage, because their victories have no miscalculations
No miscalculations mean the victories are certain, achieving victory over those who have already lost.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare establish positions that make them invincible and do not miss opportunities to attack the enemy.
Therefore, a victorious army first obtains conditions for victory, then seeks to do battle.
A defeated army first seeks to do battle, then obtains conditions for victory.
Those skilled in warfare cultivate the Way, and preserve the Law, therefore, they govern victory and defeat.
The factors in warfare are:
First, measurement, second, quantity, third, calculation, fourth, comparison, and fifth, victory.
Measurements are derived from Ground,
quantities are derived from measurement,
calculations are derived from quantities,
comparisons are derived from calculations,
and victories are derived from comparisons.
A victorious army is like a ton against an ounce;
a defeated army is like an ounce against a ton!
The victorious army is like pent up waters released, bursting through a deep gorge.
This is formation.
This is quite an interesting chapter.
In ancient times, those skilled in warfare make themselves invincible and then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.
Being invincible depends on oneself, but the enemy becoming vulnerable depends on himself.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare can make themselves invincible, but cannot necessarily cause the enemy to be vulnerable.
Therefore it is said one may know how to win but cannot necessarily do it.
One takes on invincibility defending, one takes on vulnerability attacking.
One takes on sufficiency defending, one takes on deficiency attacking.
Those skilled in defense conceal themselves in the lowest depths of the Earth, Those skilled in attack move in the highest reaches of the Heavens.
Therefore, they are able to protect themselves and achieve complete victory.
Sun-Tzu speaks of invincibility, vulnerability, sufficiency, deficiency as things that are under self-control. The leader can “make themselves invincible” - but not necessarily “make the enemy vulnerable”. He seems to feel that defending a position is more advantageous than attacking a position. In the scope of the Occupy movement, how would that apply?
One way to look at it would be that OWS can “make themselves invincible” by defending positions that are strong, dug into the ground, so to speak. In terms of OWS, I think this principle is more applicable to the metaphorical fight rather than the occupation of ‘ground’ itself. I would hope so, anyway - I doubt that I, or anyone else, would be so energized by the movement if its stated goal was to “sleep in tents, and severely annoy and inconvenience some rich people until the police come and assault, arrest, and marginalize us.” Noble, maybe, but impractical and ineffective.
Perceiving a victory when it is perceived by all is not the highest excellence.
Winning battles such that the whole world says "excellent" is not the highest excellence.
For lifting an autumn down is not considered great strength, seeing the sun and the moon is not considered a sign of sharp vision, hearing thunder is not considered a sign of sensitive hearing.
In ancient times, those who are skilled in warfare gained victory where victory was easily gained.
Therefore, the victories from those skilled in warfare are not considered of great wisdom or courage, because their victories have no miscalculations
No miscalculations mean the victories are certain, achieving victory over those who have already lost.
This expands on the previous paragraph, stating that winning a battle that should be won is no heroic feat. If the focus has been on the right goal, and you have prepared and calculated properly, then you not only should win, but you will win. There is no heroism in it - it is simply the right thing, and exactly what should happen. If that is the case, why are we not winning?
Well, maybe we finally are.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare establish positions that make them invincible and do not miss opportunities to attack the enemy.
Therefore, a victorious army first obtains conditions for victory, then seeks to do battle.
A defeated army first seeks to do battle, then obtains conditions for victory.
Those skilled in warfare cultivate the Way, and preserve the Law, therefore, they govern victory and defeat.
The major accomplishment of OWS/99%, in its first 10 weeks of existence, has been to “change the conversation.” This was a huge thing, and the first and biggest step in “making themselves invincible”. They took the narrative away from the right, pointed out that debt and deficit reductions are the wrong conversation, and that income inequality and the well being of the citizenry is the correct conversation. They have taken the high ground, claimed “the Way” for themselves, and "obtained the conditions for victory".
The factors in warfare are:
First, measurement, second, quantity, third, calculation, fourth, comparison, and fifth, victory.
Measurements are derived from Ground,
quantities are derived from measurement,
calculations are derived from quantities,
comparisons are derived from calculations,
and victories are derived from comparisons.
A victorious army is like a ton against an ounce;
a defeated army is like an ounce against a ton!
The victorious army is like pent up waters released, bursting through a deep gorge.
This is formation.
If Sun-Tzu is correct, the battle is already won. By any calculation, 99% is bigger than 1%, but we know better - the opposition will not give up so easily. Sun-Tzu could have never envisioned a world where simply controlling very large amounts of money, 24 hour television networks, newspapers, magazines, and large portions of the legislative apparatus could result in deriving the calculations for victory, but that’s what has been happening in this country since Barry Goldwater went down in defeat in 1964. The right set out to define the “Way”, the “Law”, the “Ground”, the “Air”, and the “General” for their own purposes.. They have been very successful, despite perverting all of these principles to their own means and ends.
Give the right some credit. From the ashes of the Nixon era, they elected Reagan by co-opting “Reagan Democrats”, took control of Congress with the “Contract for America” by co-opting the religious right on social issues, and co-opted the Tea Party. Rush Limbaugh paved the way for a media takeover worthy of Goebbels, and basically framed the debate for the last 20 years. It is no coincidence that a recent poll shows that people who watch Fox News know less than the people who watch no news at all. They eliminated the Fairness Doctrine, Glass-Steagall, and have subjected the middle class to attack upon attack regarding workers rights, housing, energy, social issues, health care, the social safety net - virtually every aspect of the progressive agenda has been under attack.
I’m not sure that OWS caused the right to over-reach on their agenda - they seemed to have committed to it on the debt ceiling battle. I think this was a tactical mistake on their part - maybe predicated on the lack of any kind of candidate to run against a vulnerable Obama, or maybe because they thought they had the strength in the various states to push their agenda through. But for whatever reason, they moved too soon, and didn’t anticipate OWS. They have "made themselves vulnerable".
By the same token, it is obvious that the Right has studied Sun-Tzu. They have employed many of these principles to their own battles. The problem is, they suffer from a deficiency of strategy - namely, “The Way”. They have no morality to their positions, and the only way they can sustain their campaign is to convince enough people to vote against their own interests to matter - and, they have.
OWS has their own deficiencies - namely in “The Law” and in “The General”. Being a leaderless movement is a hindrance in following Sun-Tzu’s principles - much of what he attributes success to is missing from OWS in the presence of a command hierarchy, leaders to determine policy, and to maintain discipline in message, tactics, and message.
The Right has accomplished much while operating with their deficiencies. It will be interesting to see if OWS can be as effective in overcoming theirs.