The human factor - Mao Zedong - 1938

[Larissa]

In 1938, Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-t'ung), wrote:

"Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale."

Does this insight no longer hold true?

[ComradeJunichi]

Yes, I think that quote still holds truth. I think I've read around 2/3's, 66%, of the American support this war - or think that Bush is doing the right thing...something like that.

Anyway, my point is human morale and the support by people are a major factor in war. If the people don't support it, then it is likely they will back out or whatever.

In the case of the War in Iraq, there is nothing happening on the homefront. Usually there would be more support for a war if it hurt the homefront.

lallala.

[Conghaileach]

Demoralisation of the enemy became one of the big drives of the Allies near the end of World War 2. They purposefully inflicted large civilian casualties by bombing Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and others in order to demoralise, and lessen support for war on, the other side.

[Larissa]

Thanks! sometimes I feel so lonely in my thoughts that I nearly come to believe that there's little hope left for mankind to keep strggling.

Feel reassured now.

[Xvall]

Yes, I think that quote still holds truth. I think I've read around 2/3's, 66%, of the American support this war - or think that Bush is doing the right thing...something like that.

Garbage. There is no way in hell they polled the entire American population. That's what CNN did to. They claim that 60% of the nation supports the war; but I can guarentee that less than 5% of the nation actually took that poll.

[ComradeJunichi]

Yeah, that's exactly where I read it - CNN.

Oh well.

[abstractmentality]

"At some point in this coming war, and no one can say when, the lies coming from the administration - "the death of this family was an accident", "we apologize for the dismemberment of this child", "this was an intelligence mistake", "a radar misfunction" - will begin to come apart.

"How soon that will happen depends not only on the millions now - whether actively or silently -- in the anti-war movement, but also on the emergence of whistle blowers inside the Establishment who begin to talk, , of journalists who become tired of being manipulated by the government, and begin to write to truth. . And of dissident soldiers sick of a war that is not a war but a massacre --how else describe the mayhem caused by the most powerful military machine on earth raining thousands of bombs on a fifth-rate military power already reduced to poverty by two wars and ten years of economic sanctions?" - Howard Zinn

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0227-12.htm

[Valkyrie]

I agree with that Mao quote, and think it holds true. The way I interpret it -- the people themselves are the weapons.

(Edited by Paris at 10:29 pm on Mar. 22, 2003)