Written By Piccola
Aug. 19, 2020, 9:07 p.m.(11/14/1013 AR)
The horrors of war are not what you imagine.
They are not wounds and blood and fever, spotted and low, or dysentery, chronic and acute, cold and heat and famine.
They are the despair, demoralization, and disorder of the defeated, and the cruelty, indifference, and brutality of the victor.
Wars therefore must be stopped at the first possible moment, otherwise they corrupt us.
They create new problems and make our future even more uncertain.
They are not wounds and blood and fever, spotted and low, or dysentery, chronic and acute, cold and heat and famine.
They are the despair, demoralization, and disorder of the defeated, and the cruelty, indifference, and brutality of the victor.
Wars therefore must be stopped at the first possible moment, otherwise they corrupt us.
They create new problems and make our future even more uncertain.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 17, 2020, 10:33 p.m.(11/10/1013 AR)
Do not underrate the value of military knowledge, but do not become a slave to it.
Obedience to rules lead to defeat in war.
Obedience to rules lead to defeat in war.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 14, 2020, 11:59 p.m.(11/5/1013 AR)
Every sword that is made, every cog launched, every arrow loosed, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. So I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality and stupidity.
But all free people remember that in the final choice a soldier's armor is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner's chains.
But all free people remember that in the final choice a soldier's armor is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner's chains.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 14, 2020, 1:26 p.m.(11/4/1013 AR)
It is the burden of any good general to understand that all wars have been borne on the people at the behest of their leaders.
Yet for those who abhor the involuntary service of slavery and thralldom, war is an inevitability of the spirit. To wage war against these ideas, which are contrary to the freedom declared holy by the Gods, is to serve one's faith. In such wars, it is even more important for a good general to understand that at peril is not only the lives of those in their command but the souls of those they seek to unshackle.
Seek counsel, good general, from those sworn to study and uphold the ideals of the Gods, that you do not overlook the importance of victory, for such battles are not demanded by the wisdom or avarice of a ruler, but instead by Divine direction.
But do not forget: it is the people who fight all the battles; it is the people who make the supreme sacrifices; it is the people who freely shed their blood; and it is the people who furnish the corpses, never having a voice in either declaring war or making peace. The Gods demand the liberation of others, but cannot guarantee, when swords are exchanged for plow-shares, the security of a homestead or the protection of laws. These are mortal matters for which every good general must be concerned if she be worth the loyalty she fosters in those she leads.
Thus, a good general should protect the welfare of her soldiers in times of peace, even as she trains them for times of war.
Yet for those who abhor the involuntary service of slavery and thralldom, war is an inevitability of the spirit. To wage war against these ideas, which are contrary to the freedom declared holy by the Gods, is to serve one's faith. In such wars, it is even more important for a good general to understand that at peril is not only the lives of those in their command but the souls of those they seek to unshackle.
Seek counsel, good general, from those sworn to study and uphold the ideals of the Gods, that you do not overlook the importance of victory, for such battles are not demanded by the wisdom or avarice of a ruler, but instead by Divine direction.
But do not forget: it is the people who fight all the battles; it is the people who make the supreme sacrifices; it is the people who freely shed their blood; and it is the people who furnish the corpses, never having a voice in either declaring war or making peace. The Gods demand the liberation of others, but cannot guarantee, when swords are exchanged for plow-shares, the security of a homestead or the protection of laws. These are mortal matters for which every good general must be concerned if she be worth the loyalty she fosters in those she leads.
Thus, a good general should protect the welfare of her soldiers in times of peace, even as she trains them for times of war.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 13, 2020, 10:04 a.m.(11/1/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Elysio
I had not realized, cousin, that you were so unfamiliar with strange women taking their clothes off to share space with you.
Could it be perhaps that I have overestimated your abilities?
Could it be perhaps that I have overestimated your abilities?
Written By Piccola
Aug. 12, 2020, 2:10 p.m.(10/28/1013 AR)
Never allow a problem to remain simply to avoid going to war over it. Wars do not just go away; they are only postponed to someone else's advantage. Thus, where there is a disadvantage that can be destroyed, crush it utterly.
This is because time does not heal all things. Do not trust that time will smooth over ills of the spirit. Trust only in character and prudence, for time contains all things, both good and bad.
This is because time does not heal all things. Do not trust that time will smooth over ills of the spirit. Trust only in character and prudence, for time contains all things, both good and bad.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 9, 2020, 2:56 p.m.(10/22/1013 AR)
A wise man once taught me all I needed to know of the business of war:
Numerous and plentiful are the opportunities for mortals to convince themselves of their own righteousness. The business of war begins begins with dividing the world into the good and the bad; it ends with using any means necessary to take the villains out. And so long as we seek to resolve disputes at the point of the spear, this business will always be abundant and profitable.
Thus, what matters is whether war is necessary; we otherwise only need imagine why this is so.
Numerous and plentiful are the opportunities for mortals to convince themselves of their own righteousness. The business of war begins begins with dividing the world into the good and the bad; it ends with using any means necessary to take the villains out. And so long as we seek to resolve disputes at the point of the spear, this business will always be abundant and profitable.
Thus, what matters is whether war is necessary; we otherwise only need imagine why this is so.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 9, 2020, 12:10 a.m.(10/21/1013 AR)
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues of supporting it.
These are the times that try our souls. The summer soldier will shrink from the service of their calling, but she who stands in the path of doom deserves the love and thanks of all. Yet let not that praise overwhelm or create in such person an idol to be propped up as a paragon, for times change, as all things do, and people find novel ways to destroy one another or re-discover old brutalities to inflict upon one another.
Tyranny is not easily conquered, but the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply we esteem too lightly. The Gods know how to put a proper price upon their blessings.
These are the times that try our souls. The summer soldier will shrink from the service of their calling, but she who stands in the path of doom deserves the love and thanks of all. Yet let not that praise overwhelm or create in such person an idol to be propped up as a paragon, for times change, as all things do, and people find novel ways to destroy one another or re-discover old brutalities to inflict upon one another.
Tyranny is not easily conquered, but the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply we esteem too lightly. The Gods know how to put a proper price upon their blessings.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 6, 2020, 8:04 p.m.(10/16/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Mihaly
I always read with fondness and reverence the words of old warriors.
You say, quite adroitly, that gleaning wisdom from contemplation of war is akin to asking how the wind blows. I could not agree more. For many warriors, knowing how the wind blows is pointless. The wind does little to deflect the thrust of a spear or the slash of a blade from horseback. It does even less to drown out the screams of the dying and the dirges for the dead.
I will note, in closing, only that I am an archer.
You say, quite adroitly, that gleaning wisdom from contemplation of war is akin to asking how the wind blows. I could not agree more. For many warriors, knowing how the wind blows is pointless. The wind does little to deflect the thrust of a spear or the slash of a blade from horseback. It does even less to drown out the screams of the dying and the dirges for the dead.
I will note, in closing, only that I am an archer.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 5, 2020, 3:30 p.m.(10/14/1013 AR)
If you are a warrior, then you know this to be true: that to live is to suffer.
At all times, in war, you move or you die; move forward or invite destruction. For this reason, each day, plan to suffer so that you may improve yourself and live, else risk that the next morning shall never come.
The strongest steel comes from relentless tempering. When you have screamed at your limits you come to appreciate the beauty of silence, wherein the calmness of healing is the most exciting sensation.
Embrace the pain as the wise embraces ignorance, so that you can learn to overcome both. Defy comfort as the ambitious deny satisfaction, so that you can find something greater than you first imagined.
Greet every morning as the dawn of war, and you will defeat all.
At all times, in war, you move or you die; move forward or invite destruction. For this reason, each day, plan to suffer so that you may improve yourself and live, else risk that the next morning shall never come.
The strongest steel comes from relentless tempering. When you have screamed at your limits you come to appreciate the beauty of silence, wherein the calmness of healing is the most exciting sensation.
Embrace the pain as the wise embraces ignorance, so that you can learn to overcome both. Defy comfort as the ambitious deny satisfaction, so that you can find something greater than you first imagined.
Greet every morning as the dawn of war, and you will defeat all.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 4, 2020, 8:31 p.m.(10/12/1013 AR)
Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war. But struggle is everywhere. Without struggle there is no life, and if we want to go on living we must be ready for further struggles.
This is why a wise ruler must master the art of war: if her realm is to continue she must commit to the fray. The great questions of survival are not decided by pretty speeches and platitudes but by blood and steel.
This is why a wise ruler must master the art of war: if her realm is to continue she must commit to the fray. The great questions of survival are not decided by pretty speeches and platitudes but by blood and steel.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 2, 2020, 10:57 a.m.(10/7/1013 AR)
A ruler ought to have no other aim or thought than war and its rules and discipline.
This is the sole art that belongs to she who rules. It is of such force that it not only upholds those who are born rulers but it often enables those who rise from a private station to such rank. When rulers have thought more of ease than of arms they have lost their states; and the first cause of losing it is to neglect this art, whereas what enables one to acquire a state is to be master of the art.
At her zenith, a ruler should keep good faith and live with integrity, not with astuteness; however, there are rulers who have done great things with little regard for good faith, have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation. Therefore, there are two methods of fighting: the one by force; the other by law. Although the first is of beasts, the second, which is of man, is often insufficient unless there is one must have recourse to the first. And often, between nations, there are few laws which govern sovereigns which are not accompanied by the threat of war. Therefore the mastery of war is of primary importance.
In that mastery, it is necessary to know how to use both the beast and the man. A ruler must know well how to act as a beast, but must also learn to imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize snares, and a lion to frighten wolves. Those that wish to be only lions do not understand this. If men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound to keep faith with them.
Thus, those who have been best able to imitate the fox have succeeded best, but it is necessary to be able to disguise this character well.
This is the sole art that belongs to she who rules. It is of such force that it not only upholds those who are born rulers but it often enables those who rise from a private station to such rank. When rulers have thought more of ease than of arms they have lost their states; and the first cause of losing it is to neglect this art, whereas what enables one to acquire a state is to be master of the art.
At her zenith, a ruler should keep good faith and live with integrity, not with astuteness; however, there are rulers who have done great things with little regard for good faith, have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation. Therefore, there are two methods of fighting: the one by force; the other by law. Although the first is of beasts, the second, which is of man, is often insufficient unless there is one must have recourse to the first. And often, between nations, there are few laws which govern sovereigns which are not accompanied by the threat of war. Therefore the mastery of war is of primary importance.
In that mastery, it is necessary to know how to use both the beast and the man. A ruler must know well how to act as a beast, but must also learn to imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize snares, and a lion to frighten wolves. Those that wish to be only lions do not understand this. If men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound to keep faith with them.
Thus, those who have been best able to imitate the fox have succeeded best, but it is necessary to be able to disguise this character well.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 1, 2020, 1:21 a.m.(10/5/1013 AR)
Many are not satisfied with the simpler way of life.
They will want more luxuries: dainties, perfumes, incense, and cakes; all these, not of one sort only, but in every variety. Correspondingly, they shall want more servants to wait on them.
They will want more knowledge: secrets, information, books, and lessons; all of these, not on a single topic, but upon every subject. Correspondingly, they shall want more tutors to teach them.
They will want nurses, barbers, confectioners, and cooks; they will want swineherds, cattlemen, farmers, and shepherds too.
And the country which was enough to support the original inhabitants will become too small and not enough, so a slice of our neighbors' land will be wanted by us for pasture and tillage. And they will want a slice of ours, if, like ourselves, they exceed the limit of necessity, and give themselves up to the unlimited accumulation of wealth.
And so they shall go to war, without determining whether war does good or harm, all for what we now have discovered war to be derived from causes which are also the causes of almost all the evils in nations, private as well as public.
They will want more luxuries: dainties, perfumes, incense, and cakes; all these, not of one sort only, but in every variety. Correspondingly, they shall want more servants to wait on them.
They will want more knowledge: secrets, information, books, and lessons; all of these, not on a single topic, but upon every subject. Correspondingly, they shall want more tutors to teach them.
They will want nurses, barbers, confectioners, and cooks; they will want swineherds, cattlemen, farmers, and shepherds too.
And the country which was enough to support the original inhabitants will become too small and not enough, so a slice of our neighbors' land will be wanted by us for pasture and tillage. And they will want a slice of ours, if, like ourselves, they exceed the limit of necessity, and give themselves up to the unlimited accumulation of wealth.
And so they shall go to war, without determining whether war does good or harm, all for what we now have discovered war to be derived from causes which are also the causes of almost all the evils in nations, private as well as public.
Written By Piccola
July 28, 2020, 11:02 p.m.(9/26/1013 AR)
I write about war because it is a subject of which I have intimate knowledge. But what of peace?
Peace does not simply mean the absence of conflict. There has been an absence of conflict in many repressive societies. This lack of conflict does not have its roots in harmony, goodwill or the consent of the parties involved, but often in fear, ignorance and powerlessness. There can thus be no real peace without justice or consent.
Peace does not simply mean tranquillity. The affairs of state are in incessant flux. No relationship remains the same from one day to the next. New situations are forever arising and demand constant attention; tensions build up and need to be defused. There can thus be no real peace without constant effort, planning and hard work.
Peace therefore is neither an absence of conflict or a condition of stagnation, but a frame of mind.
It is a frame of mind in which countries, communities, parties and individuals seek to resolve their differences through agreements, through negotiation and compromise, instead of threats, compulsion and violence. It is a frame of mind that seeks to devise rules, laws, agreements and conventions as mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of the inevitable clashes of interest. It is a frame of mind whereby the irresistible and dynamic processes of social, economic and political development can be regulated and accommodated.
In our quest for peace we should constantly ask ourselves what we should do to create conditions in which peace can prosper.
Peace does not fare well where poverty and deprivation reign. It does not flourish where there is ignorance, repression, and exploitation. It is threatened by fear, envy, and unrealistic expectations. It is destroyed by intolerance and prejudice. And because the vast proportion of human history has been characterized by such conditions, it should not surprise us that much of history has been a lamentable tale of violence and war.
So it is that I write of war because the alternative will not come until we address those conditions.
Peace does not simply mean the absence of conflict. There has been an absence of conflict in many repressive societies. This lack of conflict does not have its roots in harmony, goodwill or the consent of the parties involved, but often in fear, ignorance and powerlessness. There can thus be no real peace without justice or consent.
Peace does not simply mean tranquillity. The affairs of state are in incessant flux. No relationship remains the same from one day to the next. New situations are forever arising and demand constant attention; tensions build up and need to be defused. There can thus be no real peace without constant effort, planning and hard work.
Peace therefore is neither an absence of conflict or a condition of stagnation, but a frame of mind.
It is a frame of mind in which countries, communities, parties and individuals seek to resolve their differences through agreements, through negotiation and compromise, instead of threats, compulsion and violence. It is a frame of mind that seeks to devise rules, laws, agreements and conventions as mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of the inevitable clashes of interest. It is a frame of mind whereby the irresistible and dynamic processes of social, economic and political development can be regulated and accommodated.
In our quest for peace we should constantly ask ourselves what we should do to create conditions in which peace can prosper.
Peace does not fare well where poverty and deprivation reign. It does not flourish where there is ignorance, repression, and exploitation. It is threatened by fear, envy, and unrealistic expectations. It is destroyed by intolerance and prejudice. And because the vast proportion of human history has been characterized by such conditions, it should not surprise us that much of history has been a lamentable tale of violence and war.
So it is that I write of war because the alternative will not come until we address those conditions.
Written By Piccola
July 28, 2020, 6:16 p.m.(9/26/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Niklas
A wise man once told me that politics is like war, but with no battles, victories, or monuments -- only casualties.
Written By Piccola
July 27, 2020, 7:29 p.m.(9/24/1013 AR)
War keeps a nation healthy.
In general, the nation in wartime attains a uniformity of feeling, a hierarchy of values, and a culmination of a nation's ideal which could not possibly be produced through any other agency than war. Other values such as artistic creation, knowledge, reason, beauty, the enhancement of life, are instantly and almost unanimously sacrificed, and the significant classes who have constituted themselves the nation's amateur agents are engaged not only in sacrificing these values for themselves but in coercing all other persons into sacrificing them. Only when the nation is at war does society function with that unity of sentiment, simple uncritical devotion, and cooperation of services which have always been its ideal vision. War brings about the nation's best form, and it is during war that one best understands the nature of that form.
Politics is the domestication of war.
In general, the nation in wartime attains a uniformity of feeling, a hierarchy of values, and a culmination of a nation's ideal which could not possibly be produced through any other agency than war. Other values such as artistic creation, knowledge, reason, beauty, the enhancement of life, are instantly and almost unanimously sacrificed, and the significant classes who have constituted themselves the nation's amateur agents are engaged not only in sacrificing these values for themselves but in coercing all other persons into sacrificing them. Only when the nation is at war does society function with that unity of sentiment, simple uncritical devotion, and cooperation of services which have always been its ideal vision. War brings about the nation's best form, and it is during war that one best understands the nature of that form.
Politics is the domestication of war.
Written By Piccola
July 25, 2020, 3:08 p.m.(9/20/1013 AR)
War contains so much folly and wickedness that much is to be hoped from the progress of reason. And if any thing is to be hoped, every thing ought to be tried.
Of all the enemies to public liberty war is the most to be dreaded. It comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts; from these proceed taxes; and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, the power of the tyrant is extended; its reward of offices, honors, and emoluments is praised; and all the means of seducing the minds are added to those of oppression.
Thus, the malignancy which may be traced to the inequality of fortunes and the opportunities of fraud thence grow out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals engendered by both. No nation therefore can preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
Of all the enemies to public liberty war is the most to be dreaded. It comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts; from these proceed taxes; and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, the power of the tyrant is extended; its reward of offices, honors, and emoluments is praised; and all the means of seducing the minds are added to those of oppression.
Thus, the malignancy which may be traced to the inequality of fortunes and the opportunities of fraud thence grow out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals engendered by both. No nation therefore can preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
Written By Piccola
July 23, 2020, 10:30 p.m.(9/16/1013 AR)
War is always the same. It is young dying in the fullness of their promise. It is trying to kill another that you do not even know well enough to hate. It is engaging in the art of death in the name of life. To know war therefore is to know that there is still madness in this world.
Written By Piccola
July 22, 2020, 12:57 p.m.(9/14/1013 AR)
Every tolerably good soldier understands that, to avoid becoming the scorn of his companions, she must not shrink from danger or hesitating to expose or sacrifice her life when the good of her comrades requires it. So it is that, when the happiness or misery of others depends in any respect upon our conduct, we dare not prefer the interest of one to that of many. It is the soul within us that persuades us not to value ourselves too much and other people too little,else we render ourselves the proper object of the contempt and indignation of our brethren. And as each has a soul, this sentiment is not confined to those of extraordinary magnanimity and virtue, but also to those whose humility is expected by those without.
Written By Piccola
July 21, 2020, 8:21 a.m.(9/11/1013 AR)
A war must be regarded not as separate battles of which it is composed, but as a chain of linked engagements each leading to the next. If we succumb to the idea that the capture of certain geographical points or the seizure of undefended provinces are of value in themselves, we are liable to regard them as windfall profits. In so doing, and in ignoring the fact that they are links in a continuous chain of events, we also ignore the possibility that their possession may later lead to definite disadvantages. And in war the advantages and disadvantages of a single action could only be determined by the final balance.
Of all things, the moral elements are among the most important in war. They constitute the spirit that permeates war as a whole, and at an early stage they establish a close affinity with the will that moves and leads a whole mass of force. Unfortunately they will not yield to academic wisdom: they cannot be classified or counted, and they have to be seen or felt. Yet it is paltry philosophy if in the old-fashioned way one lays down rules and principles in total disregard of moral values, for as these appear one regards them as exceptions; however, if one appeals to genius, which is above all rules, then one must admit rules are not only made for idiots, but are idiotic in themselves.
Of all things, the moral elements are among the most important in war. They constitute the spirit that permeates war as a whole, and at an early stage they establish a close affinity with the will that moves and leads a whole mass of force. Unfortunately they will not yield to academic wisdom: they cannot be classified or counted, and they have to be seen or felt. Yet it is paltry philosophy if in the old-fashioned way one lays down rules and principles in total disregard of moral values, for as these appear one regards them as exceptions; however, if one appeals to genius, which is above all rules, then one must admit rules are not only made for idiots, but are idiotic in themselves.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.