Monday, November 27, 2006

Swift stroke

During our long newspaper war in Anchorage, I became an aficionado of military maxims. There is nobody better than the colonial naval hero John Paul Jones.

Here's one (with my emphasis added):

The rules of conduct, the maxims of actions, and the tactical instincts that serve to gain small victories may always be expanded into the winning of great ones with suitable opportunity; because in human affairs the sources of success are ever to be found in the fountains of quick resolve and swift stroke; and it seems to be a law inflexible and inexorable that he who will not risk cannot win.

And my favorite:

I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way.

–Howard Weaver

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