"War is the continuation of policy (politics) by other means."
- Karl von Clausewitz
There really IS enough evidence...
Right now, piles of it... We know this, it’s been plastered from one end of this blog to the other, for the past few years, stacking up, one insult, one crime, one betrayal after another.
I'm not looking to rehash the charges, which by now we’re all intimately familiar with. Since there has been a bit of an ongoing debate concerning impeachment. Just in case you hadn't noticed. :) I've mainly followed this debate, by reading two of our more prominent diarists, One Pissed Off Liberal and Major Danby, and I’ve found myself in between these two fine gentlemen, whose thoughts and opinions I’ve come to admire and value greatly. After much wrangling and rancor, it feels like it’s time for me to weigh in on this on my own ground, in my own way.
So here we go...
This isn’t intended to be so much a "meta" diary, as a case for unity in the face of disagreement, an attempt to stave off hard feelings and keep us focused on the goals we share. Not get sidetracked by differences in process towards those goals.
Most of this isn’t all that dissimilar from much I’ve said in various comments (I know, I can end up writing diaries in the comments. This diary began as one of those!) But I thought that it might make more sense, to give more context and example, of why I’ve made these efforts. The inspirations of my efforts and the philosophies that have shaped this lone voice out here in the wilderness.
As in the quote in the title, von Clausewitz said that war is an extension of politics, and so I would posit, politics is a form of warfare itself. To extend and mix the metaphor, it's a matter of moving the pieces on the chess board, getting them into place in order to achieve the solid, final checkmate. In regard to these metaphors, it seems right that we should take our cues from a master strategist, as we seek to engage the battle for the impeachment of this administration. With not only the Republicans that will obstruct, but also with those Democrats too timid to step up and the media at large, which has been getting a bit more competent, but still reluctant to take the sorts of risks and stands we’re more than capable of charging into, and quite often have!
First, the master:
Know your enemy and know yourself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Know yourself but not your enemy, find level of loss and victory. Know thy enemy but not yourself, wallow in defeat every time.
- Sun Tzu
5th/6th century BCE era Chinese military strategist, and to this very day what he taught so long ago, is just as applicable and accurate in the present. The concept above is applicable in our context here, in that both camps on the impeachment divide; share the same bedrock values and goals. Over the course of the back and forth, I’ve been pleasantly reminded again and again, that even though the debates get heated, for the most part, we all come away with a greater understanding of each other. In that way, we know "ourselves", ourselves being one another in common cause. We know our enemy all too well, that’s VERY obvious by the substance of most content here on DailyKos. We’re on the right track, so long as we continue debating disagreements and knowing the substance of each others different schools of thought.
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
- Sun Tzu
From this thought, I would say that the disputes and debates we’ve had, and certainly will continue to have, are the means by which we will find our "victory" in this "battle" for impeachment, for our entire driving cause of taking back our nation in fact. Through the debate, with our many minds together, we consistently share information, test theories and strategy, and keep each other sharp and honest. One camp focused on the objective, the pragmatic among us, the other on the subjective, the passionate among us. Both will be needed in the drive forwards, both will give us victory.
The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course.
- Sun Tzu
This refers to the passionate among us, those inclined towards the emotional argument for impeachment. Once the pieces are in place and the strategy decided, will be needed to rush forward and drive the process to conclusion. Keep the pressure on and see it through. At the moment, this part of the equation is like a noisy room, the small conversations becoming bigger and bigger, louder and louder, fueling the fire towards the breaking point, when the torrent rushes, and the stones are swept aside.
It’s the final onslaught of all the pieces, knights and rooks, bishops and queen, king, and even the pawns, making the final assault, shattering the defenses. All are important, all are critical.
The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.
- Sun Tzu
This would naturally be the pragmatic among us. Calculating, examining, collecting information, and analyzing the constant flow of information and circumstance to decipher the most effective course from the present. Choosing carefully, maximizing the potential of any future action. Seeking out the precise moments to act, the perfect action to take, this will reap the greatest benefit to the cause.
Like Kasporov, thinking seven, eight, twelve moves ahead, maneuvering and flanking the opposition, setting the stage with all resources, for the greatest chance of victory. The better the foresight, the quicker the victory.
When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.
- Sun Tzu
Momentum
Timing
Together we have both, and working combined, timing and momentum have changed the world again and again and again. Our divisions can seem wide, and the discourse can get hurtful and difficult to take at times. We’re all sensitive to many things, to one extent or another. We wouldn’t be here on this side of the fight otherwise, we CARE. But during all of that, keep in mind this one thing, from good old "Blood & Guts":
"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
- General George Patton Jr
Considering THAT, it’s very good to remember, to know, that we’re all thinking. If we weren’t, we’d most likely be parked in front of the tube watching some pompous ass like Brit Hume or Bill O’Reilly, letting THEM do the thinking FOR us. Thank God, thank fate, thank chance, thank whatever you want, but it’s great to know we’re all awake and involved. Otherwise we’d all end up simply another herd, another commodity, for those who would keep us all asleep.
Through working in harmony with life's circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others may perceive as negative into something positive.
- Benjamin Hoff
The Tao of Pooh
THIS is the politics of the future, right here, right now. Things have to be staged in such a way to put maximum pressure, upon those that would see the crimes of our time go unpunished, and leverage as many people as possible, of both parties and all regions of this country, to produce the conditions that will make it politically SAFE for elected officials to get behind the drive for justice.
We need to engage the average Americans on the other side of the aisle, those that aren’t so far lost we cannot even fathom them any longer, and the independents who aren’t paying much attention. Everyone we can, every day we’re out in the world. Turn what was once a negative, into a positive. By engaging people we wouldn’t normally engage, honestly, respectfully, and openly, we can remember our kinship in the founding principles of this country.
Who doesn't want freedom? Would turn their nose up at an equal and honest chance at a happy, long life?
You don’t have to have be of any party, to desire those things! By the same token, you need not be one of the passionate, nor pragmatic, to strive for justice. You just need to be both dedicated and patient. Because nothing ever truly worthwhile ever came easily, quickly, or without effort, and neither has it come without the help of your friends, your brothers, your sisters...
I’ll leave this with one final word, this one from good old Uncle Albert...
A human being is part of the whole called by us universe ... We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.
- Albert Einstein
Minor Update: dlindorff has some very good news for us right now, up at the top of the rec list. Looks like my adopted home state of Washington might end up leading the way on the impeachment issue!