The 36 Stratagems: Lessons in Deception

While researching a different topic, I ran across the 36 Stratagems These are ancient Chinese proverbs that are traditionally used in war and politics as a quick ruse or distraction. Similar to mathematical guidance philosophies of the I Ching, the stratagems are grouped into six sections of six proverbs each. And to satisfy the principals of Yin and Yang, three sections are to be used when you are at an advantage and the other three at a disadvantage.

All 36 Stratagems had been used successfully on the field of battle, in some cases over 2200 years ago. What I find most intriguing is that not only are they still viable today for deception, but that you can recognize their use in various situations.

Even here on ATS you can see some of these used in hoaxes, arguments, and most commonly in cases of disinformation (paid position or not). I found this to be a very educational eye opener.

link to the full list with explainations

Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean
Prepare too much and you lose sight of the big picture; what you see often you do not doubt. Yin (the art of deception) is in Yang (acting in open). Too much Yang (transparency) hides Yin (true ruses).

Create something from nothing
A plain lie. Make somebody believe there was something when there is in fact nothing.

Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat
While carrying out your plans be flexible enough to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, however small, and avail yourself of any profit, however slight.

Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree
To discipline, control, or warn others whose status or position excludes them from direct confrontation; use analogy and innuendo. Without directly naming names, those accused cannot retaliate without revealing their complicity.

Good catch, fascinating subject that I hope to get round to researching, I've bookmarked it anyway. I've bought, but never got around to reading, The Art of War and from my brief scan of your link they seam like similar collections of ancient knowledge. Also they are in a similar format and influenced by i ching, a subject I think I'll look into in some depth, if I can get off this and similar sites.

Thanks op.

I thought it best to go through all 36 and give modern day examples of their uses so that others could see their use and formulate their own observations.

1.Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean

The Rosewell coverup with the weather ballon debris and subsequent Project Blue Book.

2.Besiege Wèi to rescue Zhào

Hitler's use of the Buzz Bombs in the campaign against Britain.

3.Kill with a borrowed knife

Various proxy wars such as China's funding and support of North Korea against South Korea in the Korean War.

4.Leisurely await for the labored

The Battle of Little Big Horn. With the troops split into three groups in a frantic search, Custer had no chance.

5.Loot a burning house

The October Revolution took advantage of internal conflicts and the external conflict of WWI.

6.Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west

The classic misdirection move employed by every magician.

7.Create something from nothing

Simply put, a lie. The basis of every hoax.

8.Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang

The attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan had sent an envoy for a last chance of peace while the ships were en route to Hawaii.

9.Watch the fires burning across the river

US position in WWI was to remain neutral while supplying the allies. It was ultimately the Zimmerman Note that marked the US entry into the war.

10.Hide a knife behind a smile

UN, League of Nations, NATO...you are a friend and ally until otherwise.

11.Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree

Lee Harvey Oswald, the quintessential patsy.

12.Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat

Using the War on Terror to take out Saddam and takeover Iraq.

13.Stomp the grass to scare the snake

Shock and Awe.

14.Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul

Pretty much the entire campaign strategy of Ron Paul. See also “Hope and Change”.

15.Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair

The sub-plot strategy of the movie The Guns of Navarone to get the Germans out of the base.

16.In order to capture, one must let loose

The classic pincer movement.

17.Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem

Immunity for turning State's Evidence or testimony.

18.Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief

Various propaganda campaigns. “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.”

19.Remove the firewood from under the pot

John McCain's campaign strategy that he was pretty much like Obama but better.

20.Catch a fish while the water is disturbed

The fog of war. Using the 9/11 tragedy to pass the Patriot Act.

21.Slough off the cicada's golden shell

Project Blue Book, again. GOP losing 2008 by picking a poor candidate so that they can capitalize on the failing economy to capture Congressional seats in 2010 elections.

22.Shut the door to catch the thief

Genghis Khan's battle plan. Circle the target and slowly move in killing everything.

23.Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbor

Used by seemingly every country to show their greatness to others while engaged with war with others.

24.Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo

The history of Iran, Iraq and the US. Hitler's non-aggression pacts.

25.Replace the beams with rotten timbers

Modern day Iraq. The duty of every POW in regards to escape.

26.Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree

ATS and the Political Madness when really it about members attacking each other, meaningless posts and other substandard actions of the membership.

27.Feign madness but keep your balance

George W. Bush's presidency. The man acted the role of unintelligent buffoon that mangled the English language. He is actually well spoken and quite literate.

28.Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof

Guerrilla tactics. The Swamp Fox. Robin Hood.

29.Deck the tree with false blossoms

All the cooked books and credit default swaps that led to the current financial crisis.

30.Make the host and the guest exchange roles

Mutiny. The impetus for Ruby Ridge.

31.The beauty trap (honey trap)

Common enough tactic to catch hackers. Sex for secrets.

32.The empty fort strategy

Poker player's bluff. It is often reversed to raise the pot. Saddam's WMD.

33.Let the enemy's own spy sow discord in the enemy camp

Our current financial crisis, especially if all debts start being called in

34.Inflict injury on one's self to win the enemy's trust

Various false flag operations. Northwoods, Bay of Pigs, Gulf of Tonkin.

35.Chain stratagems

Using The War on Terror to make a power grab, attack Iraq, war profiteering (HBR)

36.If everything else fails, retreat

Self-explanatory with countless examples possible.

reply to post by Ahabstar


Just what we need on this site, another guide to deception and disinformation.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/38a6aac9525e.jpg[/atsimg]

I can't wait to see how long it takes before some people start using these tactics on this board.


Edit to add: Good find S&F

[edit on 27/2/10 by FortAnthem]

reply to post by Ahabstar


Deception is not possible simply it is a mathmatic variable. Nothing can actually be hidden only found because it was already there in the first place. Technology is not hidden from anyone or deflected it is with held by world governments in the terms of at least 2000 years of technology. You see civilization was actually more advanced than it was now less than 15 thousand bc to about 75 thousand bc. The revolution from a one world ideology that held advancement at a steady pace for 50 thousand years did the socialites take over. People that were more concerned about individual validation through wealth, power, and levels of social hierarchy. This would allow for an oppression group to always be formed a subservient class that would be botched into textiles in which to create for the wealthy. These socialites spread through outlying cities using their own ideals against them and take advantage. by 15k bc they destroyed the 3 primary Ephesian cities their 4 outlying colonies and their central capital which was located in central peninsula of panama. A massive city temple building that stretched to both sides of each joining both oceans Atlantic and pacific joining them by incoming convection currents water comes from underneath and waterfalls out the side of the other in a massive water fall generating energy to power all the phosphorus it needed. It had hardening ability(to change molecularly to a more dense compound for weather or even structural damage caused by an earthquake or volcano. Also 4 phosphorus light infractors(diffractive,refractive,reflective glass called optronic glass composed of crystal obsidian needs to be melted at a temperature of 1 billion degrees kelvin and a barometric pressure of vacuum or complete 0.

This places name of the capital was called in Ephesian (laluna) for the moon because of the white light and the sun because of its warmth la = sun lu = moon na = distance/location/composition.

Laluna was never found because like all the other cities that had this level of technology it was demagnetized like an exosketch board it all became powdered iron particles instantly not discernible from anything else in less than about 25 years. The socialites were not allowed this technology because the code of the ephesians if not used for only benefit of an entirety of population divided equally amongst all then it would not be used. Socialites had not the meanings to redevelop this technology till about 15k bc but societies still lived off their sciences and ideals but not till the uprising of the cathalosists was any knowledge of these things erased from the minds of humanity. Nothing from 50 thousand years ago has survived from any of the Ephesian cities since all the things they used were all based on this technology so when they turned it off all evidence they had of themselves was instantly gone to the pots and pans to their magnetized thermal globulas = spherical device used to view electromagnetically stored information would be a globe with glowing lights but only able to show three primary colors at a time. This technology was not given to ancient humans they actually developed all of it. The big breakthrough was the discovery of chemical light refracted, deflected, then reflected through a solid transparent chemical medium like crystal. reaction would happen for every color in the visible spectrum then multiplied by 12x unrenewable, never ending, everlasting, more than you would ever need energy source. Salt water had all the necessary ingredients needed for this process. this energy was transferable over continents since it was signal based in pulsating frequencies. So primary plant laluna powering the colony in ancient africa for example.

In a book called Molecular Theory of Gases and Liquids on page 690 figure 10.3-25

using abstract symbols

y(r)=4e(o/r)12

y represents potential functions
r-angle-right angle
e energy
o speed
r resistance

4 base energy potential with a 12 volt or amperage potential. instead of energy traveling in one single series of binary oscillations it would travel 10 times faster in a pulsating frequency but all energy would be potential on harmless pulse vectors only needed if they were one pulse would be at a 4 base and a power of 12 so one watt would be a group of separate 4x 12 watt source just not just a single one. Energy output would always be magnified like this so if a power would become four base signal specific but also 1200% more efficient and 100% safe it in essence is digital and can only be processed if it is converted back to analog but at specific speeds depending on what was needed. This power source is easily and already available and could be powered with simple algae farms sitting in sewage plants.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Are we frelling teaching the very government paid posters on how to drive us crazy? Or how to convince some of the people that the sky

really is not blue!

OP, thanks for this, but if I am going to add another part to my well endowed disinfo folder, I better get another HDD.

This will go into my disinfo techniques affiliated with Ancient Chinese Culture.
Alphabetized and chronologically placed right after the Art of War.

Damn!

very interesting

i am under the opinion that the chinnese had psychology down to a science before christ died

and were far advanced compared to the western world in understanding the human being

The 36 Stratagems are uniquely linked to the game of "go". they also predate the I-Ching.