In '73, when I was 12, I was sent to my paternal grandfather in Arkansas to spend the summer.
While there, every night, we had reading/study of the writings of Sun Tsu (old version translated from French), The writings of Sun Yat-sen and Mao's Little Red Book.
This was all about "know your enemy".
My grandpa worked in China from the late 1920s to the outbreak of WW2 (US entering). His job was as head of a private army for the US oil concerns in China. Protect oil fields, provide escort to "wildcatters" out looking for new deposits, etc.
The stated purpose for the Tsun Tsu was in how to fight, but also on how to learn to see the "not obvious" in what the enemy is up to and how to exploit it.
The Sun Yat-sen was to learn to recognize snakes in the grass. About how those gaining public acclaim for opposing a thing may actually be facilitating that thing either on accident or on purpose. But also how preaching a softer version of a thing you're at war with only leads more people to joining that thing you're at war with.
And Mao's book was about how what the enemy is trying to achieve may well not be what you think he is or should be working to accomplish. That having a pre-set mindset of how the enemy was going to conduct its operations was a great way to get your ass kicked.
In '73, when I was 12, I was sent to my paternal grandfather in Arkansas to spend the summer.
While there, every night, we had reading/study of the writings of Sun Tsu (old version translated from French), The writings of Sun Yat-sen and Mao's Little Red Book.
This was all about "know your enemy".
My grandpa worked in China from the late 1920s to the outbreak of WW2 (US entering). His job was as head of a private army for the US oil concerns in China. Protect oil fields, provide escort to "wildcatters" out looking for new deposits, etc.
The stated purpose for the Tsun Tsu was in how to fight, but also on how to learn to see the "not obvious" in what the enemy is up to and how to exploit it.
The Sun Yat-sen was to learn to recognize snakes in the grass. About how those gaining public acclaim for opposing a thing may actually be facilitating that thing either on accident or on purpose. But also how preaching a softer version of a thing you're at war with only leads more people to joining that thing you're at war with.
And Mao's book was about how what the enemy is trying to achieve may well not be what you think he is or should be working to accomplish. That having a pre-set mindset of how the enemy was going to conduct its operations was a great way to get your ass kicked.