"There is only one principle of war and that's this. Hit the other fellow, as quick as you can, and as hard as you can, where it hurts him the most, when he ain't looking." —Sir William Slim
Warfighting involves:
1) striking
2) speed
3) strength
4) scrutiny
5) surprise
In order to win battles, you must strike. War is offensive. It is aggressive. It strikes out. It leaves a place of comfort in order to inflict discomfort on those who would come against it.
You must also strike with speed. The best way to land a punch is quickly. The faster the strike, the less able the enemy is to able to see it coming, defend themselves, or recover.
The strike must also have some strength and force behind it. If you strike first and with speed, yet without strength, it is like poking the bear with a bendy straw. It may catch him off guard, but you'll only catch hell for doing it.
A quick, powerful strike should also be aimed with scrutiny at the weakest available spot. A quick assessment of your enemy should give you a run down of vulnerable areas. The most reasonable vulnerable spot available should be the target.
Lastly, if you strike decisively, with agility, potency, precision and surprise, you may deal your enemy a deathblow before they ever have a chance to inflict any damage on you. This is the aim of warfare. If you decide you must fight, you must also decide to win; and winning is a combination of striking, speed, strength, scrutiny and surprise.
"Seeking the enemy's vulnerabilities means striking with our strength against his weakness (rather than his strength) and at a time when the enemy is not prepared. This is where we can often cause the greatest damage at the lowest cost to ourselves. In practical terms, this often means avoiding his front, where his attention is focused, and striking his flanks and rear, where he does not expect us." -- MCDP 1-3: Tactics
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
day no. 15,134: tactics spelled with a "y"
"In tactics, the most important thing is not whether you go left or right, but why you go left or right." —A. M. Gray
Everything is going somewhere and eventually it's going to get there.
Going somewhere is the what.
Left or right is the how.
Tactics is knowing why going left or right gets you where you want to go.
In other words, tactics must be spelled with a "why?"
Why do this rather than that?
What go here rather than there?
Tactics presupposes that choices will need to be made and that to make one decision is to not make a different one. That's assumed. The point is knowing why you chose one rather than the other.
Assiduity is the essence of tactical precision and success.
Everything is going somewhere and eventually it's going to get there.
Going somewhere is the what.
Left or right is the how.
Tactics is knowing why going left or right gets you where you want to go.
In other words, tactics must be spelled with a "why?"
Why do this rather than that?
What go here rather than there?
Tactics presupposes that choices will need to be made and that to make one decision is to not make a different one. That's assumed. The point is knowing why you chose one rather than the other.
Assiduity is the essence of tactical precision and success.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
day no. 15,133: homiletical help, week 9: not just any words will do --> CLARITY PT. 3
Good morning witnesses,
Preaching is merely testifying to the truth in front of everyone. Instead of placing your hand on the Bible, you place your nose in it and look up and say what it says. We are not called to the stand to invent something worth listening to, but to testify that what God has said is the only thing worth listening to. We provide evidence for this by living out the principle in front of our people. If we make our sermons about us, we are teaching people that their lives are about them. But if we take the stand and swear by the Bible alone, we demonstrate what we're asking them to do in their own lives, live in light of the Word, believing and doing what it says to believe and do.
This week, let's talk about CLARITY one last time: which words to say what
Worldly wisdom would say a man spending 30 minutes in transparency is humble. He is living his life in front of everyone and giving everyone the opportunity to peek into his experience. That is humility. Authenticity and transparency are the tell tale signs of humility.
Worldly wisdom would also say a man spending 30 minutes proclaiming what God has said without any reference to his personal experience is proud, boring and out of touch. He merely shouts what God says to do without relating to his hearers. When he says, "thus sayeth the Lord," he is proud if he does not first say, "I remember a time when..."
Godly wisdom has, not surprisingly, the precise opposite take on the situations. A man who spends 30 minutes of your time talking about himself is proud whereas a man who spends 30 minutes telling you what God has said is humble. The world interprets authenticity as humble and authority as pride whereas God interprets authenticity of that degree as pride and authority derived that way as humility.
Preaching is merely testifying to the truth in front of everyone. Instead of placing your hand on the Bible, you place your nose in it and look up and say what it says. We are not called to the stand to invent something worth listening to, but to testify that what God has said is the only thing worth listening to. We provide evidence for this by living out the principle in front of our people. If we make our sermons about us, we are teaching people that their lives are about them. But if we take the stand and swear by the Bible alone, we demonstrate what we're asking them to do in their own lives, live in light of the Word, believing and doing what it says to believe and do.
This week, let's talk about CLARITY one last time: which words to say what
Worldly wisdom would say a man spending 30 minutes in transparency is humble. He is living his life in front of everyone and giving everyone the opportunity to peek into his experience. That is humility. Authenticity and transparency are the tell tale signs of humility.
Worldly wisdom would also say a man spending 30 minutes proclaiming what God has said without any reference to his personal experience is proud, boring and out of touch. He merely shouts what God says to do without relating to his hearers. When he says, "thus sayeth the Lord," he is proud if he does not first say, "I remember a time when..."
Godly wisdom has, not surprisingly, the precise opposite take on the situations. A man who spends 30 minutes of your time talking about himself is proud whereas a man who spends 30 minutes telling you what God has said is humble. The world interprets authenticity as humble and authority as pride whereas God interprets authenticity of that degree as pride and authority derived that way as humility.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
day no. 15,132: destroying the darkness is our heritage
"Matthew 16:18 'And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' If you think about that for a second, there’s something very key that sometimes escapes people’s notice. What are gates for? Are they offensive weapons or defensive? If Christ is promising that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the church, what does that imply about the actions and position of the church? Right. The church is the army that is charging, not the one that’s on the run. We are supposed to be besieging the strongholds—and that command was given to the church." — Rebekah Merkle, Eve in Exile
Destroying darkness is our heritage and vindication from God, let us be glad and walk in it.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
It is the destiny of those delivered by God to see the devil's strongholds made weak and the weak in Christ made strong.
The church is not a cloister of communicants hiding from the darkness and holding on for dear life until Jesus comes back to stop its assaults against her. The church is a militant band of soldiers risking their lives to attack the forces of darkness that surround her. The church will see its spotlight expanded, its perimeter moved back, and the darkness on its heels. As the light increases so will its circumference. A larger circle means more surface contact with the darkness around it.
No weapon formed against the church will succeed and no defense devised by the darkness will survive her. The gates of hell cannot prevail the piercing potency of the Gospel of God revealed in His Christ by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 54:16-17
Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. have also created the ravager to destroy; no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.
No weapon formed against the church will succeed and no defense devised by the darkness will survive her. The gates of hell cannot prevail the piercing potency of the Gospel of God revealed in His Christ by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 54:16-17
Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. have also created the ravager to destroy; no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.
Destroying darkness is our heritage and vindication from God, let us be glad and walk in it.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
It is the destiny of those delivered by God to see the devil's strongholds made weak and the weak in Christ made strong.
Friday, March 27, 2020
day no. 15,131: tiger's blood
"This publication is about winning in combat. Winning requires many things: excellence in techniques, an appreciation of the enemy, exemplary leadership, battlefield judgment, and focused combat power. Yet these factors by themselves do not ensure success in battle. Many armies, both winners and losers, have possessed many or all of these attributes. When we examine closely the differences between victor and vanquished, we draw one conclusion. Success went to the armies whose leaders, senior and junior, could best focus their efforts—their skills and their resources—toward a decisive end. Their success arose not merely from excellence in techniques, procedures, and material but from their leaders' abilities to uniquely and effectively combine them. Winning in combat depends upon tactical leaders who can think creatively and act decisively." -- MCDP 1-3: Tactics
If you decide you must fight, you must also decide to win. If something is not worth fighting about, then you must not fight. But if the fight is worth it, winning is the only acceptable outcome.
Winning requires creativity and courage, dexterity and clarity.
Problems need to be solved and assaulted.
If you decide you must fight, you must also decide to win. If something is not worth fighting about, then you must not fight. But if the fight is worth it, winning is the only acceptable outcome.
Winning requires creativity and courage, dexterity and clarity.
Problems need to be solved and assaulted.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
day no. 15,130: my wife's day of birth
Happy Birthday, Paige!!!
This past year has seen another Van Voorst added to the mix, homeschooling kicked up a notch from 2 students to 4, and the complexity of the material for the oldest 2 to boot. It's also been a year of watching you grow in personal discipline and Bible reading and waking up to an alarm (sometimes) and planning your days with more assiduity. It's been a good year for you. You just keep getting better.
I am proud to be your husband and love getting to remind our children how blessed they are to get to call you, "mom." I want our sons to grow up to marry women just like you and our daughters grow up to be women of similar style and substance. I can think of no higher compliment than that to offer. I want our boys to grow up to have what I have. I want our girls to grow up to be who you are.
You are a thoughtful, capable, beautiful Christian woman and I love being your husband.
Happy Birthday!!!
I'm so glad you're part of my life.
This past year has seen another Van Voorst added to the mix, homeschooling kicked up a notch from 2 students to 4, and the complexity of the material for the oldest 2 to boot. It's also been a year of watching you grow in personal discipline and Bible reading and waking up to an alarm (sometimes) and planning your days with more assiduity. It's been a good year for you. You just keep getting better.
I am proud to be your husband and love getting to remind our children how blessed they are to get to call you, "mom." I want our sons to grow up to marry women just like you and our daughters grow up to be women of similar style and substance. I can think of no higher compliment than that to offer. I want our boys to grow up to have what I have. I want our girls to grow up to be who you are.
You are a thoughtful, capable, beautiful Christian woman and I love being your husband.
Happy Birthday!!!
I'm so glad you're part of my life.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
day no. 15,129: stay yeasty, my friends
Luke 13:20-21
And again Jesus said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
Postmillennialism takes the long view. Like yeast leavening an entire lump, progress is slow, but sure. The yeast will overtake the entire lump. It's inescapable. It's only a matter of time.
Matthew 13:33
The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.
This view naturally lends itself to legacy-mindedness. The goal is not merely what one can experience in one's own lifetime, but what one can do to advance the ball for future generations, even if the costs of doing so mean never experiencing any of the immediate benefits.
Habbakuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
We live in a time of revolutionary thinking. Thinking which advocates, "What do we want? Fill in the blank!!! When do we want it? NOW!!!" This revolutionary mindset cannot suffer a moment longer. It refuses to be deprived of anything less than its desires. It's only end is to achieve for itself what it wants, whatever the costs, even if future generations suffer so that the current one can have it.
This inverts inheritance-minded legacy into immediacy-minded urgency.
Isaiah 11:9-10
The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Postmills are not revolutionaries, they are reformers. They plan for the future because they know that there will be one. They don't live for the moment, but for a collection of moments and not merely for momentary individual catharsis, but for eternal communal metamorphosis.
1 Corinthians 5:6
Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
Postmills are optimistic because hope believes we're going to win and the advancements we make, as imperfect as they are, still matter. The ingenuity applied makes a difference and makes a dent in the darkness and as the diameter of the light grows the circumference of contact with the darkness grows along with it. If it feels darker, it's only because the light is expanding. As the yeast makes its way through the lump, it rises. More surface area means more contact with the world and the force of its resistance. But the yeast is irresistible once it gets to work. The lump will be transformed. It is an inescapable ending.
Galatians 5:9
A little leaven leavens the whole lump
The yeast is not becoming more lumpy.
The lump is becoming more yeasty.
Stay yeasty, my friends.
Postmill for life... because my life is not the only one that matters.
And again Jesus said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
Postmillennialism takes the long view. Like yeast leavening an entire lump, progress is slow, but sure. The yeast will overtake the entire lump. It's inescapable. It's only a matter of time.
Matthew 13:33
The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.
This view naturally lends itself to legacy-mindedness. The goal is not merely what one can experience in one's own lifetime, but what one can do to advance the ball for future generations, even if the costs of doing so mean never experiencing any of the immediate benefits.
Habbakuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
We live in a time of revolutionary thinking. Thinking which advocates, "What do we want? Fill in the blank!!! When do we want it? NOW!!!" This revolutionary mindset cannot suffer a moment longer. It refuses to be deprived of anything less than its desires. It's only end is to achieve for itself what it wants, whatever the costs, even if future generations suffer so that the current one can have it.
This inverts inheritance-minded legacy into immediacy-minded urgency.
Isaiah 11:9-10
The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Postmills are not revolutionaries, they are reformers. They plan for the future because they know that there will be one. They don't live for the moment, but for a collection of moments and not merely for momentary individual catharsis, but for eternal communal metamorphosis.
1 Corinthians 5:6
Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
Postmills are optimistic because hope believes we're going to win and the advancements we make, as imperfect as they are, still matter. The ingenuity applied makes a difference and makes a dent in the darkness and as the diameter of the light grows the circumference of contact with the darkness grows along with it. If it feels darker, it's only because the light is expanding. As the yeast makes its way through the lump, it rises. More surface area means more contact with the world and the force of its resistance. But the yeast is irresistible once it gets to work. The lump will be transformed. It is an inescapable ending.
Galatians 5:9
A little leaven leavens the whole lump
The yeast is not becoming more lumpy.
The lump is becoming more yeasty.
Stay yeasty, my friends.
Postmill for life... because my life is not the only one that matters.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
day no. 15,128: breadcrumbs from blogs
On a run home from work the other day I found myself praying for these posts. While I use this blog as a searchable database for myself and a repository of quotes and thoughts I want to be able to easily catalog and call upon by search bar in the future, I also hope that my children and others may find value in them as well to the advancement of God's glory and my neighbor's good as it has been an exercise of personal growth in developing a regular habit of processing thoughts and putting words to them for me.
The phrase I stumbled upon in my prayer was, "please Lord, don't let the delight die with me." Sometimes I am so ravished in delight by the thoughts and meditations God grants me to marinate in and I want others to have that delight. I want my children to find themselves periodically enraptured by the thought of God's grace in the Gospel of Christ. I have found such delight and joy in mulling over God's wisdom and don't want all of that satisfaction to end selfishly with me. So I strive to put into words what God is teaching me, showing me, revealing to me, etc... I do it to document His goodness and to leave bread crumbs back to the Source for others. My goal in doing so is that others would find these crumbs adequate guides to get them to the Person of Jesus and the unending, ever-satisfying joy only He can provide.
These words I write on this blog are my attempt to put down the delight I experience in my thought life and lay rails for others to run on back to where I found it.
The phrase I stumbled upon in my prayer was, "please Lord, don't let the delight die with me." Sometimes I am so ravished in delight by the thoughts and meditations God grants me to marinate in and I want others to have that delight. I want my children to find themselves periodically enraptured by the thought of God's grace in the Gospel of Christ. I have found such delight and joy in mulling over God's wisdom and don't want all of that satisfaction to end selfishly with me. So I strive to put into words what God is teaching me, showing me, revealing to me, etc... I do it to document His goodness and to leave bread crumbs back to the Source for others. My goal in doing so is that others would find these crumbs adequate guides to get them to the Person of Jesus and the unending, ever-satisfying joy only He can provide.
These words I write on this blog are my attempt to put down the delight I experience in my thought life and lay rails for others to run on back to where I found it.
Monday, March 23, 2020
day no. 15,127: a winning that loses; a losing that wins
"Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious. Those who face the unprepared with preparation are victorious."
— Sun Tzu
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
"Tactical success of itself does not necessarily bring strategic success. It is possible to win all the battles and still lose the war. If the battles do not lead to the achievement of the strategic objective, then, successful or not, they are just so much wasted effort."
-- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
"As we have seen, actions at the higher levels in the hierarchy of war tend to overpower actions at the lower levels, and neglect of the operational level can prove disastrous even in the face of tactical competence. Without an operational design which synthesizes tactical results into a coalescent whole, what passes for operations is simply the accumulation of tactical victories." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
"Tactical competence can rarely attain victory in the face of operational incompetence, while operational ignorance can squander what tactical hard work has gained."
-- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
"Reduced to its essence, the art of campaigning consists of deciding who, when, and where to fight and for what purpose. Equally important, it involves deciding who, when, and where not to fight. It is, as Clausewitz described, 'the use of engagements for the object of the war.'" -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Luke 14:31-32
What king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
There is a winning that is losing and there is a losing that wins.
— Sun Tzu
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
"Tactical success of itself does not necessarily bring strategic success. It is possible to win all the battles and still lose the war. If the battles do not lead to the achievement of the strategic objective, then, successful or not, they are just so much wasted effort."
-- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
"As we have seen, actions at the higher levels in the hierarchy of war tend to overpower actions at the lower levels, and neglect of the operational level can prove disastrous even in the face of tactical competence. Without an operational design which synthesizes tactical results into a coalescent whole, what passes for operations is simply the accumulation of tactical victories." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
"Tactical competence can rarely attain victory in the face of operational incompetence, while operational ignorance can squander what tactical hard work has gained."
-- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
"Reduced to its essence, the art of campaigning consists of deciding who, when, and where to fight and for what purpose. Equally important, it involves deciding who, when, and where not to fight. It is, as Clausewitz described, 'the use of engagements for the object of the war.'" -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Luke 14:31-32
What king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
There is a winning that is losing and there is a losing that wins.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
day no. 15,126: sweat it or regret it
"During times of peace, the most important task of any military is to prepare for war. Through its preparedness, a military provides deterrence against potential aggressors. All peacetime activities should focus on achieving combat readiness." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
In other words, "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."
Keep sweating, brothers.
Matthew 24:43
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
Stay awake and stay safe.
Don't sweat it and regret it.
In other words, "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."
Keep sweating, brothers.
Matthew 24:43
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
Stay awake and stay safe.
Don't sweat it and regret it.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
day no. 15,125: operational and tactical level hindsight
"Leadership at the operational level requires clarity of vision, strength of will, and great moral courage. Moreover, it requires the ability to communicate these traits clearly and powerfully through numerous layers of command, each of which adds to the friction inhibiting effective communication... Operational commanders must establish a climate of cohesion among the widely dispersed elements of their commands and with adjacent and higher headquarters as well. Because they cannot become overly involved in tactics, operational commanders must have confidence in their subordinate commanders. With these subordinates, commanders must develop a deep mutual trust. They must also cultivate in subordinates an implicit understanding of their own operating style and an explicit knowledge of their specific campaign intent. Operational commanders must train their staffs until the staffs become extensions of the commanders' personality." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Acts 6:2-5a
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering
Operational commanding is a different skill set then tactical operation. Not everyone has good enough eyesight to see the battlefield at the 30,000 ft. level. Conversely, not everyone who can see the world from that perspective has the ability to see things clearly in the trenches 3 ft. from the action. They are different skills. If you can see 3 ft in front of you, it doesn't mean you should be promoted to seeing things 30 ft away. First of all, it removes you from a place of strength and second of all, there is no correlation per se between seeing things up close and seeing things from 30,000 ft above.
Those who are able to see from 30k ft. must train those beneath them in order to pass along what only they can see. They must trust the vision of those at the 3 ft. level to do what only they can do and provide them such clarity from their vantage point that all of them achieve their uniform's goals.
Acts 6:2-5a
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering
Operational commanding is a different skill set then tactical operation. Not everyone has good enough eyesight to see the battlefield at the 30,000 ft. level. Conversely, not everyone who can see the world from that perspective has the ability to see things clearly in the trenches 3 ft. from the action. They are different skills. If you can see 3 ft in front of you, it doesn't mean you should be promoted to seeing things 30 ft away. First of all, it removes you from a place of strength and second of all, there is no correlation per se between seeing things up close and seeing things from 30,000 ft above.
Those who are able to see from 30k ft. must train those beneath them in order to pass along what only they can see. They must trust the vision of those at the 3 ft. level to do what only they can do and provide them such clarity from their vantage point that all of them achieve their uniform's goals.
Friday, March 20, 2020
day no. 15,124: wishes get stitches
"At the operational level much more than at the tactical, logistics dictates what is possible and what is not. 'A campaign plan that cannot be logistically supported is not a plan at all, but simply an expression of fanciful wishes.'" -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Proverbs 12:11
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
A plan that works in your daydreams, but not in broad daylight is not a plan. It's a failure in process. It is a plan only in the sense that it has steps and leads to somewhere, but those steps are foolish and that somewhere is destruction.
Proverbs 28:19
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
There will be plenty of something. The one who has a plan that can be cashed out will have plenty of cash, while the one with the plan borrowed against the clouds will have plenty of hot air.
Proverbs 12:11
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
A plan that works in your daydreams, but not in broad daylight is not a plan. It's a failure in process. It is a plan only in the sense that it has steps and leads to somewhere, but those steps are foolish and that somewhere is destruction.
Proverbs 28:19
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
There will be plenty of something. The one who has a plan that can be cashed out will have plenty of cash, while the one with the plan borrowed against the clouds will have plenty of hot air.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
day no. 15,123: use roads to march on; fields to fight on
"Use roads to march on; fields to fight on . . . when the roads are available for use, you save time and effort by staying on them until shot off." -- Patton
"If the essence of the operational level is deciding when and where to fight, operational mobility is the means by which we commit the necessary forces based on that decision."
-- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
When your goal is moving soldiers from one place to another, roads are your best bet and you do well to stay on them unless a battle pulls you off of them before you reach the intended destination. But once at the destination, engage battle in the fields, not on the roads.
Do not march on fields unless you're forced to and do not fight on roads unless you must
Ecclesiastes 10:10
If the iron is blunt,
and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.
Wisdom knows what things are for and does with them what's best. Axes are for cutting down trees and sharpeners are for making better axes. You can't short cut it by using sharpeners to hack down trees or axes to sharpen sharpeners. Knowing how things work is a matter of knowing what they are for, when to use them and how to employ them.
"If the essence of the operational level is deciding when and where to fight, operational mobility is the means by which we commit the necessary forces based on that decision."
-- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
When your goal is moving soldiers from one place to another, roads are your best bet and you do well to stay on them unless a battle pulls you off of them before you reach the intended destination. But once at the destination, engage battle in the fields, not on the roads.
Do not march on fields unless you're forced to and do not fight on roads unless you must
Ecclesiastes 10:10
If the iron is blunt,
and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.
Wisdom knows what things are for and does with them what's best. Axes are for cutting down trees and sharpeners are for making better axes. You can't short cut it by using sharpeners to hack down trees or axes to sharpen sharpeners. Knowing how things work is a matter of knowing what they are for, when to use them and how to employ them.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
day no. 15,122: initiative shapes; passivity is shaped
"Ideally, operational commanders fight only when and where they want to. Their ability to do this is largely a function of their ability to maintain the initiative and shape the events of war to their purposes. 'In war it is all-important to gain and retain the initiative, to make the enemy conform to your action, to dance to your tune.' Retaining the initiative, in turn, is largely the product of maintaining a higher operational tempo, which we will discuss later in this chapter." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
Initiative is inescapable. Your life and livelihood will be determined by initiative: either yours or someone else's. There is no scenario where you live uninfluenced by internal drive or external force. Someone's initiative will force your hand. Make that initiative yours and move your hands where you want it to go or withhold it from where you don't want it to end up.
Initiative shapes, passivity is shaped.
Be a man. Have agency. Look to God. Observe all He commands by working your hands as hard as you can.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might
Initiative is inescapable. Your life and livelihood will be determined by initiative: either yours or someone else's. There is no scenario where you live uninfluenced by internal drive or external force. Someone's initiative will force your hand. Make that initiative yours and move your hands where you want it to go or withhold it from where you don't want it to end up.
Initiative shapes, passivity is shaped.
Be a man. Have agency. Look to God. Observe all He commands by working your hands as hard as you can.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
day no. 15,121: five hundred pounds from here to there
"We must make this campaign an exceedingly active one. Only thus can a weaker country cope with a stronger, it must make up in activity what it lacks in strength." —Stonewall Jackson
You can lift 500 lbs. by being strong enough to do it all at once or by being active enough to do it 100x in 5 lb. increments. If the job requires 500 lbs. to be moved, you will have to either find the strength or the perseverance to move it. But not all jobs grant the time it would take to do it in 5 lb. increments. And not all objects can be broken down. Some require all at once or not at all kind of strength. Others can be broken down, but cannot be assembled back together again. While still others can be broken down, but cannot be reassembled with the same structural integrity exhibited prior to being broken down. If you have the strength to lift 500 lbs. you have options. If you aren't strong enough, you have limited options in proportion to your limitations. If you're weak, lifting it all at once is not an option. If you're strong, you may opt to lift 50 lbs. 10x, not because you have to, but because you find that advantageous. But either way, you must work with what you have and if the gig is 500 lbs. from here to there, then you must flex whatever resources you have available to you.
You can lift 500 lbs. by being strong enough to do it all at once or by being active enough to do it 100x in 5 lb. increments. If the job requires 500 lbs. to be moved, you will have to either find the strength or the perseverance to move it. But not all jobs grant the time it would take to do it in 5 lb. increments. And not all objects can be broken down. Some require all at once or not at all kind of strength. Others can be broken down, but cannot be assembled back together again. While still others can be broken down, but cannot be reassembled with the same structural integrity exhibited prior to being broken down. If you have the strength to lift 500 lbs. you have options. If you aren't strong enough, you have limited options in proportion to your limitations. If you're weak, lifting it all at once is not an option. If you're strong, you may opt to lift 50 lbs. 10x, not because you have to, but because you find that advantageous. But either way, you must work with what you have and if the gig is 500 lbs. from here to there, then you must flex whatever resources you have available to you.
Monday, March 16, 2020
day no. 15,120 continued... panic mafia
Panic mafia, n. Someone who takes the responsibility of relaying the newest facts very seriously without taking any responsibility for the ensuing panic their prophesying produces. They want to look like they have done everything they could while denying that they had anything to do with the attending consequences they caused. And when all is said and done they will congratulate themselves for how their panic propaganda saved the day while blaming all of the attending infrastructural consequences on someone else's unpreparedness and incompetence.
day no. 15,120: post malone y'all
Sometimes you're making a k-cup of afternoon coffee... when inspiration strikes.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
day no. 15,119 continued... throwing shade at the situation
Acts 5:12-15
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.
The church once publicly gathered as many sick people as possible together into one place that perhaps even the shadow of God's people might pass over them. Now it passes on the opportunity to gather together publicly, encouraging the sick to stay home, and avoids the possibility of coming into contact with even the shadow of another believer.
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.
The church once publicly gathered as many sick people as possible together into one place that perhaps even the shadow of God's people might pass over them. Now it passes on the opportunity to gather together publicly, encouraging the sick to stay home, and avoids the possibility of coming into contact with even the shadow of another believer.
day no. 15,119 continued... the ides of March and coronavirus
Keep calm and carry on.
Times like these test the sentiment, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." (Php 1:21)
Paul, believing this whole-heartedly, did not seek to put himself more in harm's way than necessary, but was assured that where the harms were necessary, the greatest danger was not being in danger, but in being compromised in one's commitment to Christ.
All of Christ for all of life... come hell or high water (or the coronavirus).
Times like these test the sentiment, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." (Php 1:21)
Paul, believing this whole-heartedly, did not seek to put himself more in harm's way than necessary, but was assured that where the harms were necessary, the greatest danger was not being in danger, but in being compromised in one's commitment to Christ.
All of Christ for all of life... come hell or high water (or the coronavirus).
day no. 15,119: out in the weeds on this one
"A man should not think he makes any progress in godliness if he does not walk daily over the bellies of his lusts" - John Owen
Gardens produce weeds. That is not their intended purpose or design, but nevertheless it is a given side effect of having a garden. There will be weeds. You can solve the problem of having weeds in your garden by not having a garden, but then you just have weeds. Or you can solve the problem by pulling weeds in order to protect the garden. The plot of land is a garden, but it has weeds. It is not a weedy garden, it is a garden with weeds. If it is a weed garden, that is just another way of saying it's not a garden. Gardens don't make weeds because they wanted to do, but because that's what the land was going to do anyways. A land without a gardener is like a sheep without a shepherd -- that is to say, in danger of being devoured. This particular plot of land, called a garden, still produces weeds, but it is identified by the presence of a gardener, not the presence of weeds. Conversely, it doesn't have to wait until there is an absence of weeds in order to be called a garden. A garden can and will produce weeds, but it does not tolerate or cater to their presence. There is no weed section of any garden. To have a section allowed for weeds to thrive is to have a garden that is about to become completely weeded.
“He who wants to keep his garden tidy does not reserve a plot for weeds.”
-- Dag Hammarskjold
Saved sinners produce sin. It is an unfortunate side effect of being a sinner, even if you are the saved variety. There will be sin. You can solve the problem of sin by not being saved, but you still have sin, you just no longer have a problem with it. Or you can solve the problem by pulling sin up by the root and cutting if out of your life. You will be saved, but you will still have sin. You are not a saintly sinner, but a saint who sins. If you are a sinful sinner, that is just another way of pointing out that you are not a saint of any kind. Saints don't sin because they want to, but because that's what sinners do. Saints are a type of sinner. Sinners gonna sin. If you are marked off as a saint, it does not stop you from sinning, but you are identified as a saint because you oppose the sins you produce and demonstrate this by violently extracting them from your land when you identify them using your field guide for assistance since some are sneaky and take on, to the best of their ability, the shape of fruitful plants. You do not have to wait until you are sinless to be a saint. If that were the case, it would just be another way of saying that there is no such thing as a saint. A saint does not tolerate or cater to their sins. There is no private harbor for sin to survive without interruption. To have such a place is just another way of saying you are a future apostate. No one can tolerate the presence of sin without eventually becoming identified entirely by it.
Gardens produce weeds. That is not their intended purpose or design, but nevertheless it is a given side effect of having a garden. There will be weeds. You can solve the problem of having weeds in your garden by not having a garden, but then you just have weeds. Or you can solve the problem by pulling weeds in order to protect the garden. The plot of land is a garden, but it has weeds. It is not a weedy garden, it is a garden with weeds. If it is a weed garden, that is just another way of saying it's not a garden. Gardens don't make weeds because they wanted to do, but because that's what the land was going to do anyways. A land without a gardener is like a sheep without a shepherd -- that is to say, in danger of being devoured. This particular plot of land, called a garden, still produces weeds, but it is identified by the presence of a gardener, not the presence of weeds. Conversely, it doesn't have to wait until there is an absence of weeds in order to be called a garden. A garden can and will produce weeds, but it does not tolerate or cater to their presence. There is no weed section of any garden. To have a section allowed for weeds to thrive is to have a garden that is about to become completely weeded.
“He who wants to keep his garden tidy does not reserve a plot for weeds.”
-- Dag Hammarskjold
Saved sinners produce sin. It is an unfortunate side effect of being a sinner, even if you are the saved variety. There will be sin. You can solve the problem of sin by not being saved, but you still have sin, you just no longer have a problem with it. Or you can solve the problem by pulling sin up by the root and cutting if out of your life. You will be saved, but you will still have sin. You are not a saintly sinner, but a saint who sins. If you are a sinful sinner, that is just another way of pointing out that you are not a saint of any kind. Saints don't sin because they want to, but because that's what sinners do. Saints are a type of sinner. Sinners gonna sin. If you are marked off as a saint, it does not stop you from sinning, but you are identified as a saint because you oppose the sins you produce and demonstrate this by violently extracting them from your land when you identify them using your field guide for assistance since some are sneaky and take on, to the best of their ability, the shape of fruitful plants. You do not have to wait until you are sinless to be a saint. If that were the case, it would just be another way of saying that there is no such thing as a saint. A saint does not tolerate or cater to their sins. There is no private harbor for sin to survive without interruption. To have such a place is just another way of saying you are a future apostate. No one can tolerate the presence of sin without eventually becoming identified entirely by it.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
day no. 15,118: the end state
"In examining any proposed end state, we must consider whether it guarantees an end to the fundamental problems that brought on the struggle in the first place, or whether instead it leaves in place the seeds of further conflict. If the latter, we must ask whether the chosen method of termination permits our unilateral resumption of military operations." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
If the goal of any conflict is to end the conflict as soon as possible, you are only sowing the seeds of future conflict. Conflicting wills do not simply go away because the combat of hashing it out is inconvenient. Whatever elements led to the flash point will remain if the combat does not persist to the point of stamping out the variable that led to the vitriol.
The goal of conflict should NOT merely be to end the conflict, but to diffuse the bombs which made the conflict necessary. If you call for a peace treaty before the matters which caused the war have been addressed, you are only pausing the war, not ending it.
If an end to the fundamental problems is not reached, you must consider how the current cease fire affects your ability to begin firing on all cylinders again when future fighting invariably erupts.
James 4:1-2
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
If the goal of any conflict is to end the conflict as soon as possible, you are only sowing the seeds of future conflict. Conflicting wills do not simply go away because the combat of hashing it out is inconvenient. Whatever elements led to the flash point will remain if the combat does not persist to the point of stamping out the variable that led to the vitriol.
The goal of conflict should NOT merely be to end the conflict, but to diffuse the bombs which made the conflict necessary. If you call for a peace treaty before the matters which caused the war have been addressed, you are only pausing the war, not ending it.
If an end to the fundamental problems is not reached, you must consider how the current cease fire affects your ability to begin firing on all cylinders again when future fighting invariably erupts.
James 4:1-2
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
Friday, March 13, 2020
day no. 15:117: method must bow to mission
"Rigidity inevitably defeats itself, and the analysts who point to a changed detail as evidence of a plan's weakness are completely unaware of the characteristics of the battlefield." - Dwight Eisenhower
"The farther ahead we project, the less certain and detailed should be our design. We may plan the initial phase of a campaign with some degree of certainty, developing extensive functional and detailed plans. However, since the results of that phase will shape the phases that follow, subsequent plans must be increasingly general. The plan for future phases will be largely conceptual, perhaps consisting of no more than a general intent and several contingencies and options."
"Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." - Dwight Eisenhower
Planning forces you to consider all of your resources and liabilities as well as your enemy's center of gravity and critical vulnerabilities. But in the moment, a center of gravity can move or a new vulnerability may present itself and one's plans must change.
Those auditing the procedure critically may accuse the commander of failing to achieve each objective, but they fail to account for the fact that the overall battle plan and objective was achieved precisely by abandoning the earlier plan. You have to keep the overall goal in mind as you execute the orders. When things change, an eye on the end can help you adjust to real time, unpredictable developments that still lead you to the same end you planned from the git go. If you are more committed to seeing your plan go according to its blueprint, you may actually fail to achieve the overall objective in the process.
Mission determines method and methods must adapt in order to accomplish the mission.
Method must bow to mission.
"The farther ahead we project, the less certain and detailed should be our design. We may plan the initial phase of a campaign with some degree of certainty, developing extensive functional and detailed plans. However, since the results of that phase will shape the phases that follow, subsequent plans must be increasingly general. The plan for future phases will be largely conceptual, perhaps consisting of no more than a general intent and several contingencies and options."
"Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." - Dwight Eisenhower
Planning forces you to consider all of your resources and liabilities as well as your enemy's center of gravity and critical vulnerabilities. But in the moment, a center of gravity can move or a new vulnerability may present itself and one's plans must change.
Those auditing the procedure critically may accuse the commander of failing to achieve each objective, but they fail to account for the fact that the overall battle plan and objective was achieved precisely by abandoning the earlier plan. You have to keep the overall goal in mind as you execute the orders. When things change, an eye on the end can help you adjust to real time, unpredictable developments that still lead you to the same end you planned from the git go. If you are more committed to seeing your plan go according to its blueprint, you may actually fail to achieve the overall objective in the process.
Mission determines method and methods must adapt in order to accomplish the mission.
Method must bow to mission.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
day no. 15,116: the body politic
"The fingers have to know what the brain is feeling for, and the brain has to know what the fingers are actually touching." -- MCDP 1-2: Campaigning
The brain thinks on behalf of the entire body and the fingers feel on behalf of the entire body. The brain is not responsible for feeling, but it is responsible for listening to what the fingers are saying. The fingers are not responsible for thinking, but they must report to the brain what they're feeling if they want to benefit the body.
Romans 12:4-5
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
In the body, there are different parts with different functions and differing levels of responsibility and accountability. There is a hierarchy and it is not a result of inadequacy, inferiority or sin. The fingers report to the brain by design and not because of a broken system. To the contrary, it is the healthy body whose brain informs it fingers with direction and whose fingers report what they're finding back to the brain with alacrity.
1 Corinthians 12:12
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
The brain thinks on behalf of the entire body and the fingers feel on behalf of the entire body. The brain is not responsible for feeling, but it is responsible for listening to what the fingers are saying. The fingers are not responsible for thinking, but they must report to the brain what they're feeling if they want to benefit the body.
Romans 12:4-5
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
In the body, there are different parts with different functions and differing levels of responsibility and accountability. There is a hierarchy and it is not a result of inadequacy, inferiority or sin. The fingers report to the brain by design and not because of a broken system. To the contrary, it is the healthy body whose brain informs it fingers with direction and whose fingers report what they're finding back to the brain with alacrity.
1 Corinthians 12:12
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
day no. 15,115: homiletical help, week 8: not just any words will do --> CLARITY PT. 2
Good morning messengers,
Preachers are like magnifying glasses. They don't create the words on the page, but they do help people see them more clearly. Our words should magnify the words on the page so that people remember the Words of God, not the magnifying glass. In other words, our words should be see through in order to better illuminate His Words after hearing ours.
This week, let's again talk about CLARITY: which words to say what
This week, though, let's talk about illustrations and anecdotes. Illustrations can serve as good come up for air moments, but they must illustrate something. They can't help it; after all, they are illustrations. It's what they do.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:5
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
Do our illustrations give people a better sense of the text? A better sense of what God has said and is saying? Or do they only provide insight into our own lives?
If an illustration is memorable, but the point of the illustration is foggy, the illustration has failed. While memorable and providing insight into the preacher's life, it does nothing to help further the point the text was making if everyone remembers the punch line, but no one remembers the written lines.
These are what I have called, "illustractions." They illustrate something, just not the text. Their main point is off the main point and serve not to help the message along, but rather to compete with the message for attention.
Illustrations should not be spelled with three "i's" The main point of an anecdote cannot be the preacher. There are already enough "I's" in illustrations. Don't add a third by making it about you.
Road signs make lame destinations; they do, however, give great directions.
For your next sermon, really think about the stories, illustrations and anecdotes you use. Are they illustractions? Do they have one too many "i's" in them?
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
day no. 15,114: sagacity makes swords sharper
"Strategic execution is not simply carrying out a fixed plan. Rather, it is a complex matter of both initiating action and effectively responding to events as they unfold. Without proper grounding in the strategic situation, the political and military objectives of the strategy, and the strategic concept, Marines will not be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances... There is no shortcut to strategic wisdom.
We must think about these concepts, internalize them, and constantly seek to improve our understanding of the strategic environment. Such an understanding, based on a professional approach to the complexities of war and politics, is the essence of 'fighting smart.'"-- MCDP 1-1: Strategy
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
People fall because there are holes and they don't know where they are. We live in a world where you can trip over things and fall into other things. There is no use pretending them away or wishing they weren't there. But merely admitting them is not a win if you still don't know where they are.
Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
Wisdom knows how to fight. Wisdom will help you know when to fight, what's worth fighting about and how to fight when it's a hill worth dying upon.
Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
Wisdom makes might mightier. Sagacity makes a sword sharper, more deadly. Wisdom is a better warrior than mere weight. Muscle can move things, but the mind moves the muscle.
We must think about these concepts, internalize them, and constantly seek to improve our understanding of the strategic environment. Such an understanding, based on a professional approach to the complexities of war and politics, is the essence of 'fighting smart.'"-- MCDP 1-1: Strategy
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
People fall because there are holes and they don't know where they are. We live in a world where you can trip over things and fall into other things. There is no use pretending them away or wishing they weren't there. But merely admitting them is not a win if you still don't know where they are.
Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
Wisdom knows how to fight. Wisdom will help you know when to fight, what's worth fighting about and how to fight when it's a hill worth dying upon.
Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
Wisdom makes might mightier. Sagacity makes a sword sharper, more deadly. Wisdom is a better warrior than mere weight. Muscle can move things, but the mind moves the muscle.
Monday, March 9, 2020
day no. 15,113: strategy tragedies as per the MCDP 1-1
STRATEGY-MAKING PITFALLS
Given the complexity of making strategy, it is understandable that some seek ways to simplify the process. There are several traps into which would-be strategists commonly fall:
searching for strategic panaceas; emphasizing process over product in strategy making; seeking the single, decisive act, the fait accompli; attempting to simplify the nature of the
problem by using labels such as limited or unlimited wars; falling into a paralysis of inaction; or rushing to a conclusion recklessly.
Strategic Panaceas
Strategists have long sought strategic panaceas: strategic prescriptions that will guarantee victory in any situation. The strategic panacea denies any need for understanding the unique characteristics of each strategic situation, offering instead a ready-made and universal solution.
Emphasizing Process Over Product
The second major trap is the attempt to reduce the strategy making process to a routine. The danger in standardizing strategy-making procedures is that the leadership may believe
that the process alone will ensure development of sound strategies.
Such systems are vitally necessary. They impose a degree of order that enables the human mind to cope with the otherwise overwhelming complexity of politics and war. However,
they may also generate friction and rigidity. Standardized strategies can be valuable as a point of departure for tailored strategies or as elements of larger tailored strategies. However, when the entire process is run by routine, the results are predictable strategies by default that adversaries can easily anticipate and counter.
The Fait Accompli
A fait accompli is an accomplished fact, or fait accoinpli—political/military achievement that
simply cannot be undone. A coup d'etat is usually designed as a fait accompli. The fait accompli is another potential strategic pitfall. It is immensely attractive to political leaders because it seems neat and clean—even "surgical." The danger is that many attempted
faits accomplis end up as merely the opening gambit in what turns out to be a long-term conflict or commitment.
Limited and Unlimited Wars
Another common error is the attempt to characterize a war as either "limited" or "unlimited." While we can generally classify the political and military objectives of any individual belligerent in a war as limited or unlimited, seldom can we accurately characterize the conflict itself as limited or unlimited. To do so may leave us badly confused about the actual dynamics of a conflict.
Another common error is the assumption that limited wars are small wars and unlimited wars are big ones. This confuses the scale of a war with its military and political objectives. Large-scale wars can be quite limited in political and/or military objectives, while a relatively small conflict may have unlimited political and military objectives.
The strategic pitfall in characterizing wars as limited or unlimited is that such a label may lead to adoption of an incorrect strategy. This is particularly true in the case of limited wars. There are always temptations to limit the military means employed, even when the political objectives demand a strategy of annihilation. Such inclinations stem from the psychological and moral burdens involved in the use of force, the desire to conserve resources, and often a tendency to underestimate the enemy or the overall problem. Strategists must correctly understand the character and the resource demands of a strategy before they choose it.
Paralysis and Recklessness
Successful decisions may lead to great gains, but failure can lead to fearful losses. Some personalities instinctively respond to this environment with a hold-the-line, take-no-chances mentality. Others display an irresistible bias for action.
Unless we understand the specific problems, dangers, and potential gains of a situation, the two approaches are equally dangerous. Paralysis is neither more nor less dangerous than
blindly striking out in the face of either threat or opportunity. Unfortunately, the very process of attempting to ascertain the particulars can lead to "paralysis by analysis."Strategy makers almost always have to plan and act in the absence of complete information or without a full comprehension of the situation.
At the same time, strategists must guard against making hasty or ill-conceived decisions. The strategic realm differs from the tactical arena both in the pace at which events occur and the consequences of actions taken. Rarely does the strategic decision maker have to act instantaneously. The development of strategy demands a certain discipline to study and understand the dynamics of a situation and think through the implications of potential actions. While it is often possible to recover from a tactical error or a defeat, the consequences of a serious misstep at the strategic level can be catastrophic. Boldness and decisiveness, which are important characteristics of leadership at any level, must at the strategic level be tempered with an appropriate sense of balance and perspective.
The strategist's responsibility is to balance opportunity against risk and to balance both against uncertainty. Despite the obstacles to focusing on specific strategic problems and to
taking effective action, we must focus, and we must act. Success is clearly possible.
Given the complexity of making strategy, it is understandable that some seek ways to simplify the process. There are several traps into which would-be strategists commonly fall:
searching for strategic panaceas; emphasizing process over product in strategy making; seeking the single, decisive act, the fait accompli; attempting to simplify the nature of the
problem by using labels such as limited or unlimited wars; falling into a paralysis of inaction; or rushing to a conclusion recklessly.
Strategic Panaceas
Strategists have long sought strategic panaceas: strategic prescriptions that will guarantee victory in any situation. The strategic panacea denies any need for understanding the unique characteristics of each strategic situation, offering instead a ready-made and universal solution.
Emphasizing Process Over Product
The second major trap is the attempt to reduce the strategy making process to a routine. The danger in standardizing strategy-making procedures is that the leadership may believe
that the process alone will ensure development of sound strategies.
Such systems are vitally necessary. They impose a degree of order that enables the human mind to cope with the otherwise overwhelming complexity of politics and war. However,
they may also generate friction and rigidity. Standardized strategies can be valuable as a point of departure for tailored strategies or as elements of larger tailored strategies. However, when the entire process is run by routine, the results are predictable strategies by default that adversaries can easily anticipate and counter.
The Fait Accompli
A fait accompli is an accomplished fact, or fait accoinpli—political/military achievement that
simply cannot be undone. A coup d'etat is usually designed as a fait accompli. The fait accompli is another potential strategic pitfall. It is immensely attractive to political leaders because it seems neat and clean—even "surgical." The danger is that many attempted
faits accomplis end up as merely the opening gambit in what turns out to be a long-term conflict or commitment.
Limited and Unlimited Wars
Another common error is the attempt to characterize a war as either "limited" or "unlimited." While we can generally classify the political and military objectives of any individual belligerent in a war as limited or unlimited, seldom can we accurately characterize the conflict itself as limited or unlimited. To do so may leave us badly confused about the actual dynamics of a conflict.
Another common error is the assumption that limited wars are small wars and unlimited wars are big ones. This confuses the scale of a war with its military and political objectives. Large-scale wars can be quite limited in political and/or military objectives, while a relatively small conflict may have unlimited political and military objectives.
The strategic pitfall in characterizing wars as limited or unlimited is that such a label may lead to adoption of an incorrect strategy. This is particularly true in the case of limited wars. There are always temptations to limit the military means employed, even when the political objectives demand a strategy of annihilation. Such inclinations stem from the psychological and moral burdens involved in the use of force, the desire to conserve resources, and often a tendency to underestimate the enemy or the overall problem. Strategists must correctly understand the character and the resource demands of a strategy before they choose it.
Paralysis and Recklessness
Successful decisions may lead to great gains, but failure can lead to fearful losses. Some personalities instinctively respond to this environment with a hold-the-line, take-no-chances mentality. Others display an irresistible bias for action.
Unless we understand the specific problems, dangers, and potential gains of a situation, the two approaches are equally dangerous. Paralysis is neither more nor less dangerous than
blindly striking out in the face of either threat or opportunity. Unfortunately, the very process of attempting to ascertain the particulars can lead to "paralysis by analysis."Strategy makers almost always have to plan and act in the absence of complete information or without a full comprehension of the situation.
At the same time, strategists must guard against making hasty or ill-conceived decisions. The strategic realm differs from the tactical arena both in the pace at which events occur and the consequences of actions taken. Rarely does the strategic decision maker have to act instantaneously. The development of strategy demands a certain discipline to study and understand the dynamics of a situation and think through the implications of potential actions. While it is often possible to recover from a tactical error or a defeat, the consequences of a serious misstep at the strategic level can be catastrophic. Boldness and decisiveness, which are important characteristics of leadership at any level, must at the strategic level be tempered with an appropriate sense of balance and perspective.
The strategist's responsibility is to balance opportunity against risk and to balance both against uncertainty. Despite the obstacles to focusing on specific strategic problems and to
taking effective action, we must focus, and we must act. Success is clearly possible.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
day no. 15,112: jus ad bellum and jus in bello per MCDP 1-1
"If you decide to fight, you also have to decide to win." - Luther (2003 Film)
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JUST WAR
Traditionally, Western societies have demanded two things of their strategic leaders in war. First is success, which contributes to security and societal well-being. Second is a sense of being in the right, a belief that the cause for which the people are called to sacrifice is a just one. Strategists must be able to reconcile what is necessary with what is just. The "just war" theory provides a set of criteria that can help to reconcile these practical and moral considerations.
Just war theory has two components, labeled in Latin jus ad bellum (literally, "rightness in going to war") and jus in bello ("rightness in the conduct of war"). There are seven jus ad bellum criteria:
• Just Cause. A just cause involves the protection and preservation of value. There are three such causes: defense of self or of others against attack, retaking of something wrongly taken by force, and punishment of concrete wrongs done by an evil power.
• Right Authority. The person or body authorizing the war must be a responsible representative of a sovereign political entity.
• Right Intention. The intent in waging war must truly be just and not be a selfish aim masked as a just cause.
• Proportionality of Ends. The overall good achieved by the resort to war must not be outweighed by the harm it produces.
• Last Resort. We must show that there is no logical alternative to violence.
• Reasonable Hope of Success. There can be neither moral nor strategic justification for resorting to war when there is no hope of success.
• The Aim of Peace. Ends for which a war is fought must include the establishment of stability and peace.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
day no. 15,111: centers of gravity and critical vulnerabilities
"Choosing military objectives and the appropriate means to pursue those objectives requires the consideration of two closely related concepts: the center of gravity and the critical vulnerability. A center of gravity is a key source of the enemy's strength, In contrast, a critical vulnerability is a key potential source of weakness." -- MCDP 1-1: Strategy
Psalm 144:1-2
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
When you want to impose your will upon someone else, you must assess their greatest strength and weakness. What is the thing most likely to prevent you from imposing your will upon them and what is the easiest on ramp to apply pressure that will be felt.
Conversely, your enemies are doing this same assessment when they think of you. What is your center of gravity? What is your critical vulnerability? Where are you strong? Where are you weak?
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
Psalm 3:1-4
O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
Psalm 144:1-2
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
When you want to impose your will upon someone else, you must assess their greatest strength and weakness. What is the thing most likely to prevent you from imposing your will upon them and what is the easiest on ramp to apply pressure that will be felt.
Conversely, your enemies are doing this same assessment when they think of you. What is your center of gravity? What is your critical vulnerability? Where are you strong? Where are you weak?
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
Psalm 3:1-4
O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
Friday, March 6, 2020
day no. 15,110: Finneas is 8!
Eight years ago on this day I was driving a maroon 2005 Hyundai Elantra down a moonlit I-35 with a pregnant, laboring wife riding shotgun. She was worried she was going to give birth on the car ride from Story City, IA where our adventure began and Mary Greeley in Ames, IA where our destination awaited. We got to the parking garage and it took us a hot minute to get from there into the hospital and up to the correct floor. Paige's contractions were heavy and painful and she barely made it to the bed before pushing once and out came Finneas Haddon Foxe Van Voorst!
You are an awesome kid, Finneas. I love everything about you. You have energy and ambition and initiative. Because you are a child, these often get you into trouble, but it's the right kind of trouble that I'm excited to watch grow up and become trouble for the right people. It would be a sad thing for a man not be a troublemaker for the darkness. It is an honor to be on their watch list. You are going to do great things. You already are, but they are to scale. As you grow and mature and develop the greatness will scale with you.
You are relentlessly committed to what God said. You argue and fight like someone who believes, at their core, that whatever God said is the final word on whatever topic we are discussing. Your appeals are to Him. You sometimes get what you think is His position wrong, but it's your insistence and reliance upon it in principle because you think it's His position that has me optimistic for your future.
You are a joy and I love looking across the dinner table at you in the evenings. We currently occupy the respective ends of the table, me at the head and you, I suppose, at the bottom of the table. I'm sure if you were reading this as your 8 year old self, you would appreciate the humor of being both the butt of the joke and seated at the butt of the table. I can hear your laughter now. You have a GREAT laugh! You love to have fun and you are really good at it. You floss like a boss.
I love you, son. I always have and I always will. I loved you on that car ride from Story City, IA to Ames before I had ever even seen you. I loved you before you loved me. You are special to me and I am so glad that God chose me to be your dad... and that He allowed us to get to the hospital and that I didn't have to deliver you in my car on the side of the Interstate. :)
I love tiny warrior and I always will. No matter what. Forever and ever.
Amen.
Daddy
You are an awesome kid, Finneas. I love everything about you. You have energy and ambition and initiative. Because you are a child, these often get you into trouble, but it's the right kind of trouble that I'm excited to watch grow up and become trouble for the right people. It would be a sad thing for a man not be a troublemaker for the darkness. It is an honor to be on their watch list. You are going to do great things. You already are, but they are to scale. As you grow and mature and develop the greatness will scale with you.
You are relentlessly committed to what God said. You argue and fight like someone who believes, at their core, that whatever God said is the final word on whatever topic we are discussing. Your appeals are to Him. You sometimes get what you think is His position wrong, but it's your insistence and reliance upon it in principle because you think it's His position that has me optimistic for your future.
You are a joy and I love looking across the dinner table at you in the evenings. We currently occupy the respective ends of the table, me at the head and you, I suppose, at the bottom of the table. I'm sure if you were reading this as your 8 year old self, you would appreciate the humor of being both the butt of the joke and seated at the butt of the table. I can hear your laughter now. You have a GREAT laugh! You love to have fun and you are really good at it. You floss like a boss.
I love you, son. I always have and I always will. I loved you on that car ride from Story City, IA to Ames before I had ever even seen you. I loved you before you loved me. You are special to me and I am so glad that God chose me to be your dad... and that He allowed us to get to the hospital and that I didn't have to deliver you in my car on the side of the Interstate. :)
I love tiny warrior and I always will. No matter what. Forever and ever.
Amen.
Daddy
Thursday, March 5, 2020
day no. 15,109: war and peace
"Grand strategy must always remember that peace follows war. " —B. H. Liddell Hart
The good go to war in order to accomplish peace. The reason there must be war for now is because evil refuses to be peaceful. Evil will not stop coming at good.
God placed enmity between evil and good. The only difference between good and evil is often that evil never forgets this enmity whereas good sometimes thinks its goodness can be accomplished apart from being at war with evil or that being above the warfare is what qualifies it as good.
Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel.
Evil is against good, so good must be against evil. If it isn't, it is itself evil. There is only fighting against evil or being evil.
Galatians 5:17
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other
The flesh and the Spirit cannot play nicely together. They are against each other, actively. They aren't just opposites like up and down, but against each other as two opposing forces trying to impose upon the other. To attempt a peace treaty with evil is to have lost to evil. Evil takes enmity seriously. Evil will never stop fighting. Good fights because of the evil with an ultimate goal of peace. Evil fights against good and has no peace, no rest, for the wicked in the end.
The good fights for now in order to not fight later. Goodness must have peace as a strategic end, but not a mean.
The good go to war in order to accomplish peace. The reason there must be war for now is because evil refuses to be peaceful. Evil will not stop coming at good.
God placed enmity between evil and good. The only difference between good and evil is often that evil never forgets this enmity whereas good sometimes thinks its goodness can be accomplished apart from being at war with evil or that being above the warfare is what qualifies it as good.
Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel.
Evil is against good, so good must be against evil. If it isn't, it is itself evil. There is only fighting against evil or being evil.
Galatians 5:17
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other
The flesh and the Spirit cannot play nicely together. They are against each other, actively. They aren't just opposites like up and down, but against each other as two opposing forces trying to impose upon the other. To attempt a peace treaty with evil is to have lost to evil. Evil takes enmity seriously. Evil will never stop fighting. Good fights because of the evil with an ultimate goal of peace. Evil fights against good and has no peace, no rest, for the wicked in the end.
The good fights for now in order to not fight later. Goodness must have peace as a strategic end, but not a mean.
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