Tao of Politics #30

30

Those who lead people by following the Tao
don't use weapons to enforce their will.
Using force always leads to unseen troubles.

In the places where armies march,
thorns and briars bloom and grow.
After armies take to war,
bad years must always follow.
The skillful commander
strikes a decisive blow then stops.
When victory is won over the enemy through war
it is not a thing of great pride.
When the battle is over,
arrogance is the new enemy.
War can result when no other alternative is given,
so the one who overcomes an enemy should not dominate them.
The strong always weakened with time.

This is not the way of the Tao.
That which is not of the Tao will soon end.

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Is this, or is this not a perfect depiction of what happened in Iraq? After the Shock and Awe, we didn't stop. But pride did take over e.g. "mission accomplished" with Bush on the aircraft carrier. And pride continued to dominate, keeping us in a war that we should not have been in in the first place. Obama has taken steps away from the battle with Pride by withdrawing forces from Iraq. Perhaps he is leading by following Tao.