/leftypol/ - Leftist Politically Incorrect

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>read the book of lord shang
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20.1: When the people are weak, the state is strong; when the people are strong, the state is weak.10 Hence, the state that possesses the
Way devotes itself to weakening the people. {When the people are
weak, they are simple; when they are strong, they are excessive.}11
When they are simple, they are strong; when they are excessive, they
are weak; when they are simple12 they are regulated; when they are
excessive, they are inclined to overstep [regulations].13 When they
are weak, they can be employed; when they are inclined to overstep
[regulations], they are strong.14 Hence, it is said: “One who eliminates the strong with strength is weak; one who eliminates the
strong with weakness is strong.”
20.2: As for the people, if [the ruler] is good to them, then they are
close [to him];15 if they beneϮt from being used, they are harmonious; if they are usable, they can be appointed; if they are harmonious, they fully dedicate themselves; when they are appointed, they
144 PART II: THE BOOK OF LORD SHANG
enrich themselves through government [service].16 When superiors
abandon the standards and rely on those whom the people consider
good, there are many villains.
20.3: When the people are poor, they strenuously seek wealth;
when they strenuously seek wealth, they become excessive; when
they are excessive, then there are parasites. Hence, when the people
are rich and cannot be used, let the people use provisions to attain
[ranks]; [ranks] will surely [be bestowed] according to one’s eϸorts;17
then the farmers will not be indolent. When the farmers are not indolent, the six parasites will have no sprouts. Hence, the state is rich,
and the people are well ordered; this is “multiplying strength.”18
20.4: As for the army: it is easy to weaken it and diϲcult to
strengthen it. When the people enjoy their life, are peaceful and at
ease, it is diϲcult to make them risk their lives in time of danger.19
When it is easy to do so, the [state] is strong. When one is ashamed
of [military] aϸairs, villainy multiplies. When rewards are few,20
you will not lose. When numerous villains are stopped,21 the enemy
loses. It is surely beneϮcial—the army will attain utmost power and
awesomeness. When in [military] aϸairs one is ashamed of nothing,
it is beneϮcial to use the army. He who resides for a long time in the
position of beneϮt and power will surely become the True Monarch.
Hence, “he whose army performs whatever the enemy dares not
perform is strong; he who in [military] affairs advances whatHYHUWKHHQHP\LVDVKDPHGRIEHQHÀWV.”22
20.5: When there are standards, the people are at peace with hierarchy; when the sovereign makes changes, he employs the able and
attains the suitable;23 when the state preserves peace,24 while the
sovereign holds power, it is beneϮcial. Therefore, “the sovereign
values multiple changes; the state values minimal changes.”
20.6: When beneϮts come from a single opening, the state has plenty
of things; when they come from ten openings, the state has few things.25
He who preserves a single [opening will attain] orderly rule; he who preserves ten [openings will attain] turmoil. Orderly rule means strength;
turmoil means weakness; when one is strong, things will come; when
one is weak, things will leave. Hence, “the state that is able to bring
things is strong; when it makes things leave, it is wea
20.8: “)DUPHUVPHUFKDQWV DQG RIÀFLDOV: these three are the
constant functions in the state.”36 Farmers open up lands, merchants bring products, oϲcials order the people.37 “Three functions
give birth to six parasitic affairs that are: ‘end-of-year,’ ‘food,’
‘beauty,’ ‘likes,’ ‘aspirations,’ ‘conduct.’ When the six take root,
[the state] will surely be dismembered.” When farmers have extra
food, they lavishly feast at the end of year.38 When merchants have
excessive proϮts due to [the customers’] like of beauty, this harms
[production of] utensils. When oϲcials are put in place but are not
made use of, they have the distress39 of “aspirations” and “conduct.”
When the six parasites become a custom, the army will surely be
defeated.
20.9: When laws are crooked, rule is disordered. When the good
are appointed, there is much talk. When order is attained through
multiple [routes], the state is disordered.40 When there is much
talk, the army is weak. When laws are clear, governance is moderate; when one relies on force, talk is quelled. When governance is
moderate, the state is well ordered. When talk is quelled, the army
is strong. Hence: “when governance is large, the state is small;
when governance is small, the state is large.”
20.10: When the government does whatever the people detest,
the people are weak; when the government does whatever the people delight in, the people are strong. When the people are weak, the
state is strong; when the people are strong, the state is weak. When
the government does whatever the people delight in, the people
are strong; when the people are strong and are further empowered,
the army’s weakness multiplies. When the government does whatever the people detest, the people are weak; when the people are
weak and are weakened further, the army’s strength is multiplied.
Hence, employing the strong multiplies weakness; [employing] the
weak multiplies strength and turns one into the [True] Monarch.
He who rules the strong by strength is weak; his weakness is preserved; he who rules the weak by weakness is strong; the strong are
Eliminating the Strong 147
eliminated.41 When the strong are preserved, [the ruler] is weak;
when the strong are eliminated, [the ruler becomes] Monarch.
Hence: “he who governs the strong with strength, [his state] will
be dismembered; he who governs the strong with weakness is
the [True] Monarch

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