July 2nd 2017

I read Law 15 of the 48 Laws of Power on Sunday.  The Law was instructing us to crush our enemies completely. There were lots of examples from Chinese history including Mao Tse Tung who drove Chiang Kye Shek off of mainland China and into exile on Taiwan. The chapter is repleat with advise from various philosophers to be merciless and ruthless.  I realized something as I was reading this chapter...that throughout the book the individuals that are used as examples both winning and losing are people I wouldn't want to associate with much less emulate. The book is very entertaining but serves more as a warning than a model or blueprint or instruction manual. A warning to always subordinate might to right.

July 1, 2017

I read Law 14 of the 48 Laws of Power.  I corrected the audio artifacts (popping and clicking) that plagued last week's show.  Law 14 is about subterfuge.  Acting like a friend and being a spy.  The chapter included anecdotes from a successful art dealer and a French foreign minister.  This is another "law" that I can see having no validity for the average person.  If one is already powerful (art dealer, foreign minister) the law may have some use.  But for the rest of us "butchers, bakers and candlestick makers", the law is impotent.