Blurred Lines: Competition & War
I read a few blogs from time to time and listen to a few podcasts. An idea has come up again that I've heard before--it's the adaptation of Szun Zu (and others) philosophies for war as applied to entrepreneurship (Think Robert Greene) and interpersonal relationships.
War vs. Competition
This idea caught my attention this time because of it's possible relevance to my situation [Operation Birddog]. I have reason to suspect that there is literally and genuinely a confusion taking place domestically and in other places that blur the distinction of war and competition and so I thought I would quickly put my two cents worth into it. Confusing the two is deadly and expensive and is probably taking place subconciously in many places. There may even be some out there who intentionally confuse others to get them to do their war-mongering disguised as competing for them.
Let's give it a go:
War
Although war is brutal and horrific, we still have laws and rules for engagement. Being engaged in a war doesn't mean anything goes. For example: The Geneva Conventions for the protection of captured soldiers and the wounded, The Protocols for the nonuse of poison gases, Rules of Engagement, Rules for the Use of Force, and so on...
Competition
You know what a competition is--you've been racing against your siblings to the mailbox since you were a child.
In the workplace, you compete for the best salary, a management role and a voice in the company. Your ability to compete here becomes "critical" since you now have more responsibilities relying upon you: school loans, a mortgage and so on.
Domestically, we have laws so that we "place nice" with each other. Laws against usury, unfair business practice, sabatouge, illegal surveillance, theft, fraud and so on. These things seem obvious and they are if we are to have a healthy country of Americans who can trust and do business with each other as well as have recourse when something goes wrong.
Icarus
Now that you've put up with my high school-ish suppositions, I'll try to make it worth your while. We now begin to confuse war with competing together and see what happens.
Russia's doping scandal during the Olympics of **** is somehting of legend. I highly recommend the Netflix documentary about it, Icarus. Some of it appears staged, but for the most part, it's a good yarn.
Not only did Russia cheat with steroids to win the Olympics and then get banned for it, they have reportedly bullied the judges who banned them from competing in the next Olympics to get themselves back into the next heat.
What's at stake? I can't imagine it being that much money. Throwing one's weight around, winning at all costs, etc. would seem to be the message Russians want to be associated with.
Again, wars are not competitions and competitions are not wars. You cannot cheat with drugs during a match if that's what you've agreed to, get caught, get disqualified, and still parade around like you've won. You haven't. What you did do is betray yourself to the astute that you are at war with those around you even if they are not and are there to compete by the rules. And some of those competitors put their lives into playing fairly and by the rules. They even swim to America with just the clothes on their back and make it all the way through Master's programs in computer science. Do you think they want to discover that the "game" here in America is to have police are steal their data (for their own personal gain) or capturing them like butterflies in their skynet? This is an example of military vs. nonmilitary fought domestically. Don't laugh. Your teenage daughter could be sleeping with an older gentlemen from the "safety" of her bedroom over the Sky.
God vs. Satan
God vs. Satan? Bear with me and I'll try to make this worth your while.
This is a classic war everyone knows at least vaguely. Very few know it thoroughly or correctly.
The war between God and Satan is correctly understood as a war between two idols: the law and oneself.
There is no such thing as "God"--it's a metaphor. As well, there is no such thing as "Satan". It too is a metaphor used for teaching.
Those who idolize God or Jesus or Krishna, etc. are, sometimes unwittingly, making an idol of the law--and that's a good thing. Those who eschew the law and religeon or philosophies they find constricting are making an idol of themselves and specifically, of their "wants".
In the bible, this is a theme that repeats itself many times. When Moses descends from the Mount of Olives, he finds the Israelites in a hedonic and drunken frenzy, worshipping a golden calf they themselves had contrived. This was against the law and they were punished for it.
When the earth became overwhelmed with crime, Noah was alerted that there would be a great flood to wipe out the wicked and that he was to build an ark to save mankind (himself) and the animal kingdom.
When Sodom & Gommorah had become overrun with sexual hedonism, Abraham, was instructed to warn the residents to repent for soon it would be destroyed.
In the book of Genesis, the bible opens with a story about Adam and Eve (mankind) and a serpent (the devil) who, persuades them to eat from a tree that would give them powers of perception so that they could think for themselves.
Jesus was an idol for his followers who always exemplified a living example of someone bound by the law. Many, many great acts have been done in his name.
Whenever a culture of people become "ungodly", in the bible God dispatches a superman to warn them that correction is coming.
"Satan"
There is no such thing as Satan. As Dr. David Hawkins has stated, "The devil is a level of conscousness, not an entity." (So is God.)
Satan, correctly understood, is nothing other than a man without a book. A hedonist.
It is a person who refuses to be constrained and wants to do whatever he wants to do. It is what a man is by default.
This is not uncommon in today's society with many people demanding "white priveleges", immunity from prosecution, and so on. These things are wanted not because they have the maturity of a federal judge sitting on the Supreme Court with the ability to weild such authority but because they are spoiled or afraid or want to cheat those around them. Perhaps tell others what to do.
By the way, there is no contest. The God vs. Satan showdown, otherwise known as The Law vs. My Own Naivete, is always destroyed by The Law. The most successful cultures the world has ever seen mind the law. Those who think they can "wing it" always fail and create atrocities.
Not only does playing by the rules mean fair competition, it means equity for everyone; maybe even knowledge.
Acts of war like assault, poisoning your competition, slander, theft of their equipment etc. are not acceptable and should not be taught as acts of competition--they are not.
This is an act of war against God--"the rules" by "Satanists"--people who idolize their wants.
It looks like a situation ripe for one of the Bible's supermen to destroy a culture of people going off the rails, but in this particular case, it looks like America's hero is going to be Russia, not the FBI. Lol.
Late.
-Titus-Nietzsche
