fandomhigh | The Art of War, Week #4 [Period 3, Monday]

Ghanima was sitting on her desk as the students arrived, her text placed neatly in her lap. Exactly like any other day of class.

The moment the last student was seated, she flipped her book open. "Good morning, class, and welcome. Those of you who are still injured, please return to the clinic. Bleeding during class is considered tacky, and I am your teacher, not a tyrant. It is an excused absence, and you can get the notes from a classmate later."

"For those of you staying, we begin today with chapter three," she said, holding up the book. "'Attack by Stratagem.' Considering the events of this past weekend, I find it highly appropriate."

"'Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans;'" Ghanima recited, watching all of them carefully. "'The next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.' So speaks Tzu. I'm curious as to how you feel this reflects the events of this weekend."

"Today, we will be having a class discussion." Ghanima snapped the book shut and dropped it beside her on the desk. "Mayor Summers acted as our general, and made a choice for the 'army' that some people may disagree with. I'd like you to look at the third P'ien and tell me what, if anything, you would have done differently."

[OOC: ~~Please wait for the~~ OCD is up, go have fun! The text for this week's lesson can be found here.]

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Jaina sat back a little, honestly surprised she'd come so far over to this way of thinking. "See, that's the thing. The personal feelings of those involved can't factor too heavily into the general's decisions. They can play a small part, sure, if it might affect the mission, but if you cater to everyone and who's going to get upset about what, nothing would ever get done," she said. "I mean, I've been in the position where I've been tricked into doing things I might not have been if I knew the full story, but the fact is, it still got the job done, and that's the important part. And really, anyone could have just not shown up if they were that opposed."

"Except he's not a general," Jo pointed out. "He's a mayor, and one pretty muhc by default, and as everyone from Principal Winchester to Professor Skywalker is so fond of pointing out every single time something like this happens we're not soldiers in his army. That people would've shown up anyway if they'd been given the choice, doesn't make one lick of difference to the fact he didn't actually have the right to choose for any of them."

"The general term was thrown out there in the lecture, I'm using it. Though considering how often we do have to battle whatever's invading this month here, I'm not sure the term isn't apt," Jaina told her. "And it does make a difference. He made a choice, but everyone chose whether or not to accept that. No one was forcing them. That makes all the difference. It's just that in Fandom, you're hard-pressed to find someone who'd refuse. And when has anyone said that thing about his army? I more remember everyone in charge telling us all not to do stuff. This is the flip side of that."

The Art of War, Week #4 [Period 3, Monday]

Re: Class Discussion: Dissect Mayor Summer's choices!

Re: Class Discussion: Dissect Mayor Summer's choices!

Re: Class Discussion: Dissect Mayor Summer's choices!