Quotes About Strategy

Basic Soviet strategy in foreign affairs, under which the Comintern and the Foreign Commissariat operated as two arms of a dual policy, one working to overthrow capitalist governments while the other tried to conduct business with them, was essentially Lenin's creation, as was the notion of a Soviet diplomacy designed to reduce the insecurity of the revolutionary state by aggravating the discords between its enemies.

The maneuvers by which Stalin steered his faction to a conclusive victory over the other three are testimony to his extraordinary skill as a political strategist; they have been cited as a textbook example of the art of coalition strategy.

Who will establish himself finally in the Caucasus, who will use the oil and the extremely important roads leading to the heart of Asia, the Revolution or the Entente—that is the whole question.[385]

The technique called for drilling a small hole in the red lens of a prospective victim's taillight. Barely visible during the day, at night the opening emitted a brilliant white glow, making a car easier to identify and follow. Hector

I had an idea that sobriety was a weapon. I thought it would give me an advantage over my enemies. I wasn't sober for moral reasons-I was sober for the same reason a man carries a concealed pistol.

Those are things people say, Tyler. Talking about multilateralism and diplomacy is like saying 'I love you'—it serves to facilitate the fucking.

Part of waging war is knowing when you're outgunned.

The person who is obviously angling for money or other material reward can only repel. If that is your intention, if you are looking for something other than pleasure—for money, for power—never show it. The suspicion of an ulterior motive is anti-seductive. Never let anything break the illusion.

Whenever you can, bury the hatchet with an enemy, and make a point of putting him in your service.

The spider has no need to chase for food, or even to move. It quietly sits in the corner, waiting for its victims to come to it on their own, and ensnare themselves in the web.

WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE'S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE

The Vulture. Of all the creatures in the jungle, he has it the easiest. The hard work of others becomes his work; their failure to survive becomes his nourishment. Keep an eye on the Vulture - while you are hard at work, he is circling above. Do not fight him, join him.

But it's not what you have that brings you victory, it's how you use it. When you have less, you are naturally more inventive.

Law 35: Master the art of timing "Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

What you need is a mental filtering system based on a scale of priorities and your long-term goals.

In the realm of power, you must ask yourself, what is the point of chasing here and there, trying to solve problems and defeat my enemies, if I never feel in control?

I got very good on the telephone tricks too. Like calling up a company and find out that the plant was going to building a new addition and getting hold of the engineering office and getting the secretary to give me the direct extension.

Lincoln replied, "do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" KEYS TO POWER It is natural to want to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need.

What you want in warfare is room to maneuver. Tight corners spell death. Having enemies gives you options. You can play them off against each other, make one a friend as a way of attacking the other, on and on.

50 Cent is a master player at power, a kind of hip-hop Napoleon Bonaparte.

One of the most potent weapons in the battle for information, then, is giving out false information. As Winston Churchill said, "Truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.

Powerful people never waste time. Outwardly they may play along with the game — pretending that power is shared among many — but inwardly they keep their eyes on the inevitable few in the group who hold the cards. These are the ones they work on. When troubles arise, they look for the underlying cause, the single strong character who started the stirring and whose isolation or banishment will settle the waters again.

Making a show of one's weakness is actually a very effective strategy, subtle and deceptive, in the game of power.

Power is a game. This cannot be repeated too often!