One useful way to think about Sun Tzu's The Art of War is that if offers a proven, well-organized system for thinking about the future, not only tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow. For example, after the Madrid bombings, about 10% of the voters reacted with fright, switching their votes from the conservative party to the socialist party. Impending economic disaster aside, what is it that these voters expect to happen. Alright, tomorrow, (after June) the Spanish will pull out of Iraq. What will happen after that?

Sun Tzu teaches us not to create opportunities for our opponents because they will certainly take advantage of them. What have terrorists learned from the effect of the bombing is Madrid? The reaction of the Spanish voters in doing what the terrorists wanted--voting out the anti-terrorists conservatives--encourages more terror attacks of the same kind. Expect more attacks on the eve of elections so that the terrorists can leverage our democracy against us. Expect more attacks in Europe because Europeans obviously react the way the terrorists want.

Notice how the media always inserts the terrorist message into its reports anonymously by using the phrase "some say." Just heard on Fox News report of the Madrid train attacks, "some say that these attacks were in retaliation for Spain's support in the war in Iraq." Of course, there is absolutely no information on the motivation for these attack, and the "some" are those (in the press?) who carry water for the terrorists. The message is "terrorism is powerful, so we better do what they say," which give terrorists a great incentive for more actions like this.

Terry McAuliffe was on Fox News this morning attacking Bush for attacking Kerry "so early in the campaign" calling it "unprecedented" and saying over and over, "This has never happened before." Of course, it was McAuliffe who changed the nomination process to pick an early candidate making such early targeting possible. It has never happened before because a nominee was never chosen this early. Bad strategy on his part. Apparently, Bush didn't get the memo about Kerry being the only one that could legitimately attack during this extended campaign.

The warrior wife explains why marriage requires both a man and a woman. "If someone sells you two left shoes calling them 'a pair of shoes,' they are cheating you. Two of something does not necessarily make a pair. Expecting pairs of shoes to be complementary opposites, rather than two of the same thing, does not deprive people with two left feet of their rights."