Ender’s Game is a book authored by Orson Scott Card and is on the level of some of the best military sci-fi I have ever read. While I have not read all of the Ender books, Ender’s Game is by far one of the most intellectually stimulating sci-fi books I have read in the fiction genre. Essential to the present, raised and created by President Obama and the Democratic Party, is the question, “Does the manner of winning matter?”
“When I understand my enemy well enough to defeat him, then in that moment, I also love him.” – A. E. Wiggin
The Morality of Fighting
From a previous article, we draw the definition of morality. Various sources define morality; in fact, morality has been considered a philosophical debate, and much is written on this topic. For this reason, the definition of morality is as follows:
“Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are distinguished as proper and those that are improper. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion or culture, or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal.”
I am not here to dictate what is and is not moral between you, your conscience, and your supreme being worshiped. However, I will emphasize that America was founded upon the morals of Judeo-Christian theology, and these morals have been a solid anchor in the chaotic push and pull of beliefs and morals across time.
History is replete with wars, contention, the loss of life, and examples of fighting for moral and immoral reasons, depending upon your choices and moral codes; but, is fighting someone else moral? In the Judaic religion, the Rabbi’s will point to the Books of Moses and declare that the Children of Israel had to obey because God commanded, and wars were begun. The Koran has similar writings. The Old and New Testaments and the different Popes of the Catholic church can point to writings and claim similarly. But, does a commandment from a supreme being make war moral?
I cannot tell you how to answer; thus, I will not be pontificating on this topic. You, individually, must decide the morality or immorality of fighting and what is worth fighting and dying for. I know my answer and am comfortable with my answers, for I have done the research and reached logical conclusions. I beg you to decide what your answers are individually, for, in answering, you will better understand yourself, your beliefs, your mental positions, and the world around you.
The manner of Winning
An enemy can be crushed in any manner of methods from baroque to technical; the enemy is just as dead as yesterday’s fish. Comb through history, and you will find man’s inhumanity to man is as great as man’s humanity to man. I find this fact very comforting! As cruel and vicious as man can be to each other, the fact that man continues to have a spark of divinity and can show compassion and kindness equal to or greater than his inhumanity a great hope. Bringing us to the question, does the manner of winning matter?
In this world, there are many absolutes; the manner of winning absolutely does matter! No equivocation, no double-speak, no half-truths. If you cannot win by the rules, you are not worthy of competing! I know no better method of stating this absolute; how you win is more important than winning!
Does this absolute suggest there are rules to fighting; unequivocally YES! There are always rules to fighting, and only the most despotic criminal would shuck the rules and win at all costs. For in winning at all costs, that person has thrown off the cloaks of humanity, the ties that bind human to human, and have become an animal most vile. One must never forget the lesson of Ender Wiggin.
“When I understand my enemy well enough to defeat him, then in that moment, I also love him.” – A. E. Wiggin
From the “Five Rings,” Mao Tse Tung is quoted as declaring, “When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.” Why; because universal truths win out, today’s enemy is tomorrow’s ally. Both Mao Tse Tung and Ender Wiggin recognize the same lesson, but from different perspectives that there is never much difference between a trusted ally and a despised enemy. Thus, how one wins is more important than winning!
Consider this principle in real life. We have the November 2020 elections, which began with the 2020 primaries, where fraud, the inability to count, too many votes for a precinct, and a hundred other issues popped up. Yet, none of those issues were considered fraudulent, just politicking—business as usual. The most extensive problem areas promised to have everything fixed by November, business, as usual, no worries. What happened in November, the same problems in the same regions produced an election that 40% of Pennsylvania does not trust to have been truthful. How one wins matters more than winning!
Another example; Syria, President Bashar Assad, who employed chemical weapons against his people, in a massive violation of law, morality, and ethics. President Obama blurred his own “Red Lines,” and Assad is still in power, only a little more circumspect in using banned chemical weapons. The Syrian civil war (2011-Present) continues, the crimes against his enemies and people continue, and the only change is how Turkey continues to be flooded with refugees. How you win matters more than winning!
The battle continues in Ukraine with Russia, unabated, where America refused her ally (Ukraine) for Russia to gain “political influence” with Turkey and Syria. One of the most remarkable historical facts, Russia continues to forget, then remember, then forget that how you win is more important than merely winning! The history books of Russia are replete with this cycle, and every few generations, the cycle repeats. Usually, after a glorious loss, Russia remembers that how you win is more important than winning, and the people rally to clear off the invader, previously Germany!
Since the First Sino-Japanese War onward, China has refused to believe that how one wins is more important than winning. Unfortunately, Communism has only made this country more blood-thirsty and less willing to follow Mao Tse Tung’s advice on war, even though they continue to use his philosophies against everyone else. Worse, China is offering war to every nation on Earth, and the majority of the countries are asleep. Japan learned this lesson well and has used this lesson to dominate the Pacific Rim nations economically.
America keeps trying to learn and apply this lesson. However, her political leaders since Vietnam continue to refuse to allow the military to do their job with a clear set of Rules for Engagement. Worse, the political leaders keep trying to give away US Constitutional Rights to enemies of America. All because too many refuse to understand that how you win is more important than winning.
© 2021 M. Dave Salisbury
All Rights Reserved
The images used herein were obtained in the public domain; this author holds no copyright to the images displayed.
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