All or Nothing

[Jolly]

https://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2020/07/09/in_war_its_total_victory_or_nothing_498690.html

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly Interesting article, but I am not a black/white thinker, so I do think that there are shades of grey in there.

In general, I agree with the article

I guess the one statement that I somewhat disagree with is: "Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.”

I think that alot of people think that the reason Adolf Hitler was able to gain power in Germany and led to the 2nd World War was that the German people were so crushed after the First World War I. Maybe if the Germans were not so crushed in spirit, Adolf Hitler would not have come to power.

Who knows, but it is a good thought exercise.

[Doctor Phibes]

Try applying this logic to Northern Ireland. It was only when the British stopped trying to crush Irish nationalism that peace, although fragile, was finally achieved.

In fact, the dreadful history of Irish oppression by the British is testament to the fact that this isn't always the best solution.

[Axtremus]

@Jolly said in All or Nothing:

https://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2020/07/09/in_war_its_total_victory_or_nothing_498690.html

Yeah, you want absolutely victory, therefore the Union should completely erase every vestige of the Confederacy’s so called heritage. See how that works?

Idiot.

[jon-nyc]

Sometimes the goals of the war are inconsistent with such crushing. See Mr. von Clausewitz on the topic.

[Jolly]

@Axtremus said in All or Nothing:

@Jolly said in All or Nothing:

https://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2020/07/09/in_war_its_total_victory_or_nothing_498690.html

Yeah, you want absolutely victory, therefore the Union should completely erase every vestige of the Confederacy’s so called heritage. See how that works?

Idiot.

Sherman.

Idiot.

[Catseye3]

And Lao Tzu says you should never corner your foe, but always leave him a means of escape -- or something like that. I think this relates to a defeated foe. This is sort of tangentially related to not crushing his spirit.

[Jolly]

Rome.

Carthage.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Catseye3 said in All or Nothing:

And Lao Tzu says you should never corner your foe, but always leave him a means of escape -- or something like that. I think this relates to a defeated foe. This is sort of tangentially related to not crushing his spirit.

This was said at a time in which fields of battle would mutually be changed so that one side did not have too much advantage over the other, thus dampening the victory. We don't fight like that anymore and our enemies sure as hell don't either.

It depends on the conflict.

[Catseye3]

Thanks! That's very interesting.