“Incentives And Dis-Incentives” (Heb.11:16;Matt.25:42) [Reflections on Ralph D. Sawyer's Translation of One Hundred Unorthodox Strategies - Battle Tactics of Chinese Warfare #15-16]

I well recall my former boss, who said,
“On firing you, the others whom I led,
Came into line, like lightning in the storm –
It cleared the air, with rebels thereby warned.

It was unjust; the wrong horse backed that day;
He should have dealt with it in better way,
Like, “Back the men on A-team”, “Shooting straight”;
He didn’t – which set up collision date.

Rewards (incentives) played a role in this
Account of Chinese warfare – he insists
That these must be for all, both constant, fair,
And signify accomplishment was there.

If shifted over time as masses rose
In use, not just the nobles took on foes;
But being nasty seemed to need a pull
And push to bring potential to the full.

Lord, as I read the “devil’s playbook” here,
I’m struck by his excessive use of fear
To get folks to do nasties to their friends
And enemies – and how it message sends –

Down through the ranks – the one who’s at the top,
Came through that system; far more than just talk,
Perpetuated by such stringent rules
And consequences – only breached by fools.

Rewards went to the lowly heroes too,
So in tough situations soldiers knew
The good and bad flowed equally to all,
When everyone was up against the wall.

Lord, when I ponder this without the twist
The evil-one puts on, I’d be remiss
If I did not attend one difference here –
You said that “Perfect love casts out all fear”.

These chapters speak most clearly of the foe –
Their killing upper ranks that fear might go
Down to the rest – Ah! Now I get the source
Of “Trickle-down” as economic force!

For money, power, are twins in worldly ways;
The use of “Leveraging” is force that plays
A major role in “Getting all you can”,
No matter if at great expense to man.

So counselors don’t make much use of cash
As counseling tool – just way to build their stash;
And yet, stripped of that role, it potent is
To help another move on in life’s biz.

For money-system is entwined in all
Life-factors of the living, great and small;
Incentives, disincentives, mostly play
A moneyed-role in satan’s twisted ways.

Lord, there’s so much to think about in this –
Reward and punishment, when they’re admixed
With selfishness, at base of satan’s twist
To Eden’s ways, lets powerful insist –

On others doing what they’re twisted minds
Find to advantage now, or over time;
Incentives, disincentives therefore play
A vital role in world we see today.

And we’ve grown up with that as part of school,
Which preps, supposedly, for adult rule,
By mimicking the life that adults lead,
And planting satan’s twist as tiny seeds.

Lord, thanks for opening up this concept now,
And raising questions ’bout what world allows,
At least in Western lands where we were born –
And need to be alert, now we’ve been warned.

Thanks Lord for this.

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