Trump vs. China by Newt Gingrich

Author:Newt Gingrich
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Center Street
Published: 2019-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

The quest for and defense of multiple realms of territory across the board result in various complex scenarios that require invasion, engagement confrontation, and fighting between players. It is a lengthy game with many turns that requires each player to constantly think about short-term victories and long-term strategy. The apparent control of one player’s territory can be challenged, weakened, or totally obliterated with just one move from his or her opponent. Go is dynamic, and control of the board is often uncertain—constantly fluctuating back and forth between players. In a game of go, when selecting a move, players are always required to alter their thinking from one’s own perspective to their opponent’s, from offensive to defensive mode, and from a risk-taking to a risk-averse mind-set to determine the best play for a constantly evolving board.

In 2004, Dr. David Lai, now the research professor of Asian Security Studies at the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College, wrote a paper that equated go to Chinese strategy. Lai argues, “This game bears striking resemblance to the Chinese way of war and diplomacy. Its concepts and tactics are living reflections of Chinese philosophy, strategic thinking, stratagems, and tactical interactions. This game, in turn, influences the way Chinese think and act.”24 Lai also argued that American strategy closely resembles chess. American strategy is centered around the idea of force-on-force competition that is focused on battlefields. The United States engages in warfare using massive power, possesses exceptionally advanced technology, and uses both to pursue complete, total victory against an opponent. When engaging in warfare, Americans rely heavily upon capability and technological superiority. This means we rely less upon sophisticated, skilled strategies and maneuvers. Chess reflects this notion of a “power-based competition.”25 Each piece carries a different capacity for power and a different sort of capability. However, we know that the queen is significantly more powerful than a pawn, just as the rook is more powerful than a knight. So, when stronger pieces are eliminated from the board as the game continues, the balance of power shifts, tilting the chances of victory in favor of the player with the stronger pieces still in play.

Each piece in a game of chess therefore can be seen as a military or political entity. Some are substantially more powerful than others. In a game of chess, by looking at the number and strength of the individual pieces still in play for each player, one can likely predict who will win and who will lose. On the other hand, Lai explains that go is a game based largely upon skill and the ability to adapt quickly. Lai writes:

“In the game of go, each piece has the same tangible power, but their intangible and potential power, based on the near-infinite combinations and alternative ways of engagement, is situational and limitless. The stones on the board work collectively and always in concert with one another to fight battles. It is difficult to predict victory with a casual look at the individual pieces.

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