Tag Archives: Sun Tzu

Actions Have Consequences

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In his book, The Art of War, Sun Tzu states,  “Know your enemy and know yourself.” It also pays to know when your enemy has morphed from something you could simply roll over easily into something much more formidable. I believe that this is the mistake the Democrats have made in creating a government shutdown.

On Sunday, PJ Media reported:

The Democrats have backed themselves into a corner again, and this time, it’s not just political theater—it’s a standoff with serious consequences. The Schumer Shutdown is dragging into its second week, and President Donald Trump is done waiting for Democrats to come around. The message from the White House is crystal clear: if the talks with Democrats “are absolutely going nowhere,” as National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett put it, mass layoffs of federal workers are coming.

The shutdown began when Senate Democrats refused to support a short-term funding bill that would have kept government agencies running through November 21. Their justification? They’re insisting on reopening the loophole closed by the One Big Beautiful Bill, which had prevented taxpayer dollars from funding health care for illegal immigrants. On top of that, they’re pushing to spend billions on other radical left-wing priorities.

…Behind closed doors, administration officials reportedly see this moment as an opportunity to do more than just win a standoff—they see a chance to make structural changes. After years of bureaucratic bloat, Trump’s team views this as a moment to permanently streamline the federal workforce, cutting costs and reshaping agencies that have long outgrown their usefulness.

The article concludes:

This shutdown is more than a budget dispute—it’s a test of priorities. The White House is protecting taxpayers and forcing accountability. Democrats, meanwhile, are digging in on giveaways that benefit the few at the expense of the many. The question now is simple: will Democrats end this shutdown before more Americans lose their jobs, or will they keep the lights off in Washington until they get free healthcare for people who aren’t even citizens? The clock is ticking, and Trump just made it clear he’s willing to let them live with the consequences of their choice.

It’s going to be an interesting week.

This Is Not A Reasonable Solution

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Howie Carr posted an article in the Boston Herald today about a recent remark by Secretary of State John Kerry.

The article reports Secretary Kerry’s remarks:

“…If you decide one day you’re going to be a terrorist and you’re willing to kill yourself, you can go out and kill some people. You can make some noise. Perhaps the media would do us all a service if they didn’t cover it quite as much. People wouldn’t know what is going on.”

This is a bit of a contrast to the Sun Tzu quote:

“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.”

The article reminds us of some of Secretary Kerry’s other ideas:

Kerry said the Arab murderers at Charlie Hebdo in Paris had “a legitimacy, not legitimacy, but a rationale.” Okay, so he walked that one back a little, but he doesn’t take terrorism seriously. Why should he? He’s protected by taxpayer-paid heat until January, and after that, all the security his second wife’s first husband’s trust fund can buy.

Burying our heads in the sand will not help fight terrorism. I am in favor of newspapers not mentioning the names of terrorists and western social media taking down terrorist recruitment films and pre-suicide bombing videos. However, burying our heads in the sand leaves us in a place very similar to where we were on September 10, 2011.