II. 作 戰 第 二 - The Art of War [Waging War][Public]
As the famous scholar, Ts`ao Kung, has the note:
"He who wishes to fight must first count the cost," which prepares us for the discovery that the subject of the chapter is not what we might expect from the title, but is primarily a consideration of ways and means."
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Sun Tzu wrote: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers,1 with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
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Translation: Whether the enemy upon the field with a thousand swift ships and dozens of troops upon the field, they must have enough provisions to carry them through the battle ahead.
Remember always that getting to the fray is always the most difficult, for a good tactician must not waste his provisions too early in combat. War is very costly...
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When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on...
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Hm...
I must say, those last few words certainly struck a cord with me. A profitable war, he claimed...profit to be made in bloodshed.
A profit that holds more value than a human life, I suppose? Shall this be in the form of money or in the form of knowledge?
Such a question...
"He who wishes to fight must first count the cost," which prepares us for the discovery that the subject of the chapter is not what we might expect from the title, but is primarily a consideration of ways and means."
------------------
Sun Tzu wrote: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers,1 with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
------------------
Translation: Whether the enemy upon the field with a thousand swift ships and dozens of troops upon the field, they must have enough provisions to carry them through the battle ahead.
Remember always that getting to the fray is always the most difficult, for a good tactician must not waste his provisions too early in combat. War is very costly...
------------------
When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on...
----------------
Hm...
I must say, those last few words certainly struck a cord with me. A profitable war, he claimed...profit to be made in bloodshed.
A profit that holds more value than a human life, I suppose? Shall this be in the form of money or in the form of knowledge?
Such a question...