06-24-2010, 03:15 PM
X-post...
Sanku Wrote:Pranav Wrote:Basic principle: Either you totally destroy an enemy, or you leave him alone.
Flawed, it assume that the world is Binary.
A while back Ramana had put up a magnificent essay into the "secret of longevity of Byzantine" -- every one who wants to talk geo-politics should read that.
On how greys the approach was, how clearly understood were the real political imperatives, how the basic memes of the civilization was carried forward under different wraps.
How finally the barbarians who defeated Byzantines ended up turning into copies of what the Empire was.
Three things are needed
1) Huge military power, kept in check, unleashed rarely but kept visible for all to see.
2) A clear national goal.
3) Un conventional means for times when total war was not being fought (sam, dam, danda, bheda) and sub-conventional warfare.