The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

The Art of War

Captain Paul Watson is a Canadian-born environmental activist. He believes in a biocentric philosophy as opposed to anthropocentric and that humans should live in harmony with nature in accordance with the laws of ecology.Watson co-founded the Greenpeace Foundation in 1969. Due to his confrontational methods he left in 1977 and founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Ousted he founded the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 to promote and further his legacy.His book Earthforce! is a strategic guide for the environmental activist.

All species are interdependent with each other.

The Law of Interdependence

If the oceans die, we die!

Paul Watson has taken hundreds of sea-going expeditions and thus successfully interfered with numerous illegal activities exploiting marine wildlife. All this was accomplished without causing or sustaining a single injury to his opposition or his crew. Not a single one of his missions has resulted in a criminal felony conviction against his organisation, his crew or himself.He did so by applying the ingenuity of Sun Tzu, the self-discipline of Musashi, and the perceptions of media and culture by McLuhan.

A Lifetime of Experience

<ul><li>Earth</li><li>Water</li><li>Fire</li><li>Wind</li><li>Dreams</li></ul>

The Paths of Strategy

To know yourself you must know others.Understand the lessons of the past and all cultures.Do not diverge. All roads have side paths. A small divergence now will later become a large divergence.

The Way of the Wind

Controlling dreams and transforming them into reality is the way of the warrior dreamer.Surrender reason to intuition.Do not fear death.

The Way of Dreams

The answer is there is no answer.

<ul><li>the strategy of the Healer</li><li>the strategy of the Communicator</li><li>the strategy of the Artist</li><li>the strategy of the Infiltrator</li><li>the strategy of the Catalyst</li><li>the strategy of the Shaman</li></ul>A strategist must choose a strategy based on intuitive inclination.

The Strategic Art

The communicator propagates the ideas of the ecological movement and teaches the way of the ecological activist. The communicator is curious, skilled in writing, and has the ability to speak and be understood."You are the hammer and your message is the nail. Hit it hard and hit it again, and again and again until the message is deeply embedded into those you wish to communicate with."

The Strategy of the Communicator

<ol><li>Never lose respect for the Way of the Earth Warrior.</li><li>Be of service to the Earth and all of her children.</li><li>Be respectful to the Earth and all of her children.</li><li>Get beyond love and grief, beyond personal ambition.</li></ol>

The Four Oaths of the Earth Warrior

Learn from the past. Let the future guide your actions. Live in the present.It is only in the present that you can act. The present is for the true activist.Find your own way. You must walk your path alone with courage and dignity.Let your guidance come from within and not from without.The Earth comes first - always. Believe in the sacredness of the Earth, the sanctity of nature, the holiness of the wilderness.

Spiritual Foundation of the Earth Warrior

We may look pretty, we may breed like yeast, we may believe we are the greatest creation under the stars, but the truth is that we exist by virtue of the fact that billions of creatures from millions of species make it possible for us to exist at all. Without them there would be no art, no music, no poetry, no science, no civilization.Bacteria, seaweeds, plankton, trees, worms, bees, ants, beetles, flies, fish: These are the essential beings that maintain the life support system. These are the species that make up the crew of spaceship Earth. These are the species that nurture and sustain us.

We are mere passengers

All living things upon the Earth are a part of the Earth. All living things upon the Earth have always been a part of the Earth. All living things upon the Earth will forever be a part of the Earth. This is the Continuum.Our actions and decisions must weigh the future consequences.Anthropocentric human civilization has all but destroyed the natural wonders and treasures that were dwelling in harmony.We of the present are responsible for the actions of our species in the past.We of the present are responsible as a species for the well-being of those yet to be born.

The Continuum

Strategy is of paramount importance.Failure to understand strategy may result in injury, imprisonment, or death.Don't attempt to carry out a campaign without a good strategy in place.All strategy requires the careful and meticulous laying of plans.According to Sun Tzu strategy is governed by 5 factors:<ul><li>Moral Law</li><li>Environment</li><li>Situation</li><li>Command</li><li>Method and Discipline</li></ul>

Preparations

Remain Virtuous in your adherence to biocentric principles.Deception is a weapon. Do not direct it towards your allies. Beware of self-deception.Strive to attain a complete understanding of anthropocentric thought.Justice is a matter of perception. People see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear.Manipulate media instead of being manipulated by it.Your truths can be transformed into lies by modern media.You must present your moral superiority in an attractive anthropocentric wrapper.The best equipped activist is the one not noticed, that infiltrates and assimilates.

Your cause must be honest and just

Never lose your temper! Be calm, project confidence, never be at a loss for an answer.The nature of the mass media today is that the truth is irrelevant.The truth is defined by manipulation of facts and events.As long as the spirit of your message is truthful, statistics and details are secondary.Don't get sidetracked by trivialities.Use fiction to convey the truth. A fictional story can be more effective than a non-fictional narrative.Appeal to the puplic through powerful symbols.Emphasize the noble, beautiful and innocent.Do not abstract. Modern media abhors abstractions.

Deception is the foundation of strategy

Avoid adverse conditions when defending.Exploit adverse conditions when attacking.Know how to survive in your environment.Be aware of and familiar with your environment.Incorporate all circumstances and possibilities into your planning.Have trusted allies.Attack when your enemy is unprepared.Appear when you are not expected.Bait the enemy. Pretend to be disorganized, then strike.If your enemy is of superior strength, evade.If your enemies are united, seek to divide them.If your enemy is short-tempered, irritate.Prepare for death.Live each day fully as if it were your last.

Never be caught unprepared

Do not burden your soul with unfinished business.Be at peace with those you love.Never surrender to fear.Sometimes you have to do things without an escape option simply because it is the right thing to do.

Hoka hey!

There are 9 types of leadership:<ul><li>leaders of humanism</li><li>leaders of duty</li><li>leaders of courtesy</li><li>leaders of intellect</li><li>leaders of inspiration</li><li>leaders of the field</li><li>leaders of the frontline</li><li>leaders of charisma</li><li>leaders that compose all leadership virtues are the great leaders</li></ul>The way to victory:<ul><li>understand the importance of arranging your forces</li><li>understand how to delegate responsibility</li><li>understand maintenance of your forces</li><li>understand how to manage your resource base</li></ul>

Command and Leadership

Modern media is a battlefield of opposing ideologies.Truth is turned into a tool of strategy.Through media you can control the perception of reality.The difference between lying and deception is based on perception. The truth is always a lie in the eyes of the opposition.Through unpredictability and deception comes success.Criticism from the enemy is an indication of success.If your enemy makes accusations, ignore them.If your enemy becomes angry, antagonize them.Don't trust the conciliatory enemy.Be vigilant against the quiet enemy."Those who talk, rarely act. Those who act, rarely talk."

The Disciplined Art of Strategic Deception

Prolonged confrontation will lead to greater expenses, fatigue and disenchantment of the followers, dissension, and ultimately rebellion.Keep confrontations short! Attack and retreat. Expend energy and resources only in short burts.Achieve swift and decisive victory! Or use hit and run tactics.Never leave yourself open to attack!Never allow bureaucracy in your ranks.Defending the environment is a guerrilla movement by necessity."Environmentalists must have no illusion about decisive victory or even victory in our lifetime. We are simply buying time for the future."

Confrontation

Violent interference has moral and legal consequences.Environmental activism needs to be aggressive, but non-violent.Embrace the power of a movement. An individual can be stopped, a movement however cannot be easily suppressed."The breaking of non-indictable laws is justified on two points. The first point is to challenge the law and the second point is because the particular law is unjust. Justice must always take precedence over laws covering non-capital offences."

Aggressive Non-Violence

Do not publicly battle an ally.Promote harmony and display a mutual non-aggression policy.If your organization is infiltrated, you need to isolate the infiltrators. If the infiltration becomes to strong, you need to abandon the organization and regroup.Turn all attacks into strategies of retaliation.Use your enemy's force against them.Employ your enemy's arguments and tactics in your strategy.If you understand your enemies, they will provide the key to your victory.

Fighting your Allies

The control of your forces, may they be large or small, is a matter of preparation and organization. Large groups are divided into smaller groups. Set up a chain of command. Divide your followers into ordinary and extraordinary, the ordinary to engage, the extraordinary to win. Utilize moderate and and extremist factions, the moderate for open and the extremist for covert activities.Be prepared to defend yourself in court and media.Direct action speaks louder than words.An effective environmental action group must be ruthless in its pursuit and quick with decisions.

May the Force Be With You

I called the crew together and told them that it was my intention to ram the Sierra to end its career. [...] We picked up speed [...] and struck them again, ripping the hull clear down to the water line. I was brought before the Port captain and told that I would be charged with gross criminal negligence. I replied that there was nothing negligent about the action and that I hit the whaling ship precisely where I intended to hit it. The Port captain laughed [...] we were free to leave. [...] Sometimes you have to do things without an escape option simply because it is the right thing to do.

Do not camp in difficult terrain.Do not linger in isolated positions.Advantages and disadvantages must be considered together.Entice away the opponent's best warriors and counselors.Recruit traitors and introduce spies.Sow dissension among the enemy leaders and followers. Corrupt their moral. Disturb and unsettle their minds.Always be prepared to receive your opponent.The leader answers for failure alone. Victory is shared by all.Decisions made are the responsibility of the leader, the consequences fall on their head alone.Decisions can only be made by those who have their head on the block.

Maintaining the Center

Fire is unpredictable and uncontrollable and therefore should not be utilized as a tactic by the environmental activist."The only fire that I endorse is the fire of passion and in truth this is the most effective fire of all." - Paul Watson﻿

Attacking with Fire

Using intelligence agents is the most cost-effective method of defeating the opposition.Agents cost much less than taking your forces to the field.There are five types of agents:<ul><li>native: citizens employed from the enemy country</li><li>inside: employees of the opposition who work for you</li><li>doubled: enemy spies that you recruit</li><li>expendable: are deliberately given fabricated information</li><li>living agents: those that will return with valuable information</li></ul>Utilizing all five is ideal.

The Use of Intelligence Agents

<ol><li>Invisibility</li><li>Helpful Big Brother Scheme</li><li>Help from Friends</li><li>Be rested as your opponent wearies.</li><li>As others drown, dive for the pearl.</li><li>Spreading Manure</li><li>Materializing the Ghost: create a fantasy</li><li>Wizard of Oz: false front</li><li>Passive Observation</li><li>Cloak and Dagger</li><li>Sacrifice</li><li>Resourcefulness</li><li>Piercing the Veil</li><li>Innovation and Imagination</li><li>Induce your opponent to leave the fortress.</li><li>Patience</li><li>Trading Glass for Diamonds</li><li>Capture the general to subdue the army.</li><li>Pouring Water on the Powder: destroy resources and moral of opponent</li><li>Confusion</li><li>Lobster Strategy: retain a facade</li><li>Lock the hen house to keep the eggs: keep infiltrators in check</li></ol>

The 36 Strategies

23) Keep your allies distant, your enemies near.24) Manipulation25) Seduce Enemy Followers26) Indirect Chastisement27) Feign ignorance, stupidity or incompetence28) Point of No Return: entice your opponent29) Fireworks Strategy: baffle your opponents with bullshit30) Transformation of Guest into Host: beware of granting influence to outsiders31) Seduction32) Appearance of Vulnerability33) Double Agents34) Pretend to be a victim to gain support from the opposition35) Orbiting Circles: always use numerous tactics36) The Art of Retreat: never fight superior odds, never surrender

Whatever you want to do in this world, it is achievable. The most important thing that I've found, that perhaps you could use, is be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you'll be a winner.

Strategy must find ways to wed seemingly unattainable goals with workable tactics to secure the desired outcome. But sometimes you just have to go for broke and take whatever risks are required, trusting in your intuition and perception of the situation.

The ecological warrior needs to develop complete mastery over himself and a sense of oneness with nature. Worldly, spiritual, and aesthetic skills need to be acquired to merge into a single harmonious whole.

The Book of Five Rings

There are limits to growth and limits to carrying capacity.

The Law of Finite Resources

This is the path of combat and confrontation. Fire is fierce regardless of the size of the flame. Make decisions without hesitation. Don't change spirit.Fire is spontaneous. Fire transforms.

The Way of Fire

Appeal to anthropocentric preconceived notions.Accentuate the beauty and nobility of the cause.Subtly attach the cause of the less appealing to the public campaign.Recruit celebrities to speak for and support your cause.Confidence is the defense against ridicule and criticism.Always prepare an effective media strategy.Modern media can serve two purposes: increase awareness and make things happen.Humor is the best strategy for deflecting criticism.

Keep it simple!

<ul><li>Deception</li><li>Discipline</li><li>Deployment</li><li>Distraction</li><li>Diversion</li><li>Division</li><li>Documentation</li></ul>

The 7 Ds of a successful campaign

<ul><li>The Art of War by Sun Tzu</li><li>The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi</li><li>the written and presented works of Marshall McLuhan</li><li>50 years of experience as an environmental activist and field campaign leader</li></ul>

The four sources that influenced this book

The way of the Earth warrior is the twofold way of camera and confrontation.

Environmentalism is the most universal, noble, just, and moral of causes, and most importantly, represents the interests of every living thing upon the Earth.

It is imperative to achieve victories without causing or sustaining injuries or fatalities. Open engagement in conflict is the last resort. Never besiege!<ul><li>Foil the enemy's plans.</li><li>Prevent the unification of the enemy's forces.</li><li>Interfere with your enemy's alliances.</li><li>Divide and conquer.</li><li>Subvert your enemy's strategy.</li><li>Attack by stratagem.</li><li>Use the sheathed sword.</li><li>Don't hobble your followers.</li><li>Be aware of the principle of adaptability.</li><li>Don't allow your followers to become restless and distrustful. This may breed anarchy.</li></ul>If you know yourself and your enemy, you will triumph.Never kick a defeated enemy.

The Art of Non-Fighting

For the environmental movement to succeed the objective must be peace. The strategy of the ecological warrior must be stealth. The media needs to be utilized like a weapon of modern warfare. The loyalty, courage and passion within the movement and the moral superiority of the cause will triumph in the long run.

When the vermin move in, simply move out.

Becoming an environmentalist is in reality a question of self-preservation.

Worms, ants, bacteria and fish are more important than human beings for the simple reason that worms, ants, bacteria and fish do not need humanity to survive but humanity needs them to survive. They are essential for our existence. We are not essential to their existence.

When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.

More than ever before does the media define culture and determine reality as it is perceived by others. The ecological warrior needs to understand the different mediums of media and how they require different approaches to deliver the message. The chosen medium is part of the message.Before implementing the media to deliver your message you need to think about:<ol><li>Who am I addressing?</li><li>What do I want to achieve?</li></ol>Masses may easily be reached through emotions.Politicians and business executives may need a fact-based approach.

McLuhanism

Be the foundation. Know the smallest and the biggest, the shallowest and the deepest. Always keep an open mind. Nothing is final or firm.

The Way of Earth

I thought I had the dream life. I could take pictures of fish and travel the world. It was only when I saw what was happening to the sharks that I realized I couldn't just sit back and not care. At a certain point you have to take action.

"You must always put yourself beyond the possibility of being defeated and then wait for an opportunity to defeat the enemy."To be victorious you need to:<ul><li>plan secretly</li><li>move surreptitiously</li><li>foil the enemy's intentions</li><li>thwart the enemy's schemes</li></ul>Tactical approaches:<ul><li>Field Tactics: these are known as monkey-wrenching and are comprised of sabotage and direct action</li><li>Media Tactics: the camera is more powerful than the sword, document and investigate</li><li>Psychological Tactics: manipulate and deceive</li><li>Educational Tactics: aim at a permanent change in attitudes</li><li>Intuitive Tactics: inspiration and imagination</li></ul>

Tactics

Harmony in the organization is vital for the success of any field conflict.Never enter into an alliance without knowing the designs of your potential ally.Move only if there is a real advantage.Be sure your plans are impenetrable.Do not interfere with your enemy if their forces are returning home. When you surround an opposing force, always leave a way free for them to retreat.Humiliation inspires desperation. Never humiliate the enemy.Never utilize the same strategy twice.

Maneuvering

In 1981, two of my crew and I landed on a Siberian beach to document evidence on illegal Soviet whaling activities. We were approached by two Soviet soldiers. I turned my back on them and stepped into our inflatable boat. My crew sat in the bow facing the beach as I slowly motored away from the shore. "What are they doing?" I asked. My photographer replied, "They have their rifles aimed at us. I think they're going to shoot." "Smile and wave." I replied without looking back. My two crewmembers smiled and waved and I kept my back to them until we were out of range. They did not shoot.

The strategy for your individual needs and objectives must be developed from within your own intuitive soul. You must temper it with the fires of your own imagination. It must be driven by the strength and power of your own will.The karmic laws must be respected.Shadows can only pretend to be warriors.In choosing a warrior's way and dedicating your life to protecting and serving the planet, you will be richly rewarded.The love of life inspires passion for life which will motivate the passionate defense of life.Be alive and live, live, live.

Concluding Words

Let the spirit become like water. Adapt to your surroundings, be a rivulet or a wild sea.Water is clarity. Water is purity. Water is life.

The Way of Water

A good strategist must be able to favorably use the opposition's philosophical arguments. Praise the Lord and wrap yourself in the flag if this is what it takes to get your message across.

The objective of the infiltrator is to affect change from within the opposition. The infiltrator needs to be skilled in espionage, creative sabotage, and proficient in the skills valued by the opposition. The infiltrator needs strong determination and dedication. The infiltrator must be a master of deception, absolute confidence and supreme courage.

The Strategy of the Infiltrator

The objective of the catalyst is to confront and provoke. The catalyst is stubborn by nature. The catalyst has great courage, determination, ambition, leadership skills, and complete dedication.

The Strategy of the Catalyst

Not adhering to the laws of ecology will lead to:<ul><li>collapse of ecosystems</li><li>breakdown of human social structures</li><li>decline of human empathy</li><li>global warming</li><li>emerging pathogens from the permafrost</li><li>more virulent viral diseases</li><li>famine, war and terrorism</li><li>next mass extinction event</li></ul>It is not too late. We need to act NOW!Solutions can be found through courage, imagination, passion, and love.Understand that we are part of the continuum.Refuse to participate in the anthropocentric illusion.Embrace biocentrism.

The Consequences

Understand the visible and unvisible. Be first in the field, the enemy should come to you. Impose your will upon the enemy. Draw them out with bait, or strike their crucial points. Move swiftly to where you are not expected. Attack what cannot be defended, hold what cannot be attacked. Only fight when you wish to fight. Be subtle. Be secretive. Gambol if in a pinch.Discover the dispositions of your opponent while remaining invisible. Divide and conquer.Always seek to place the burden of reaction on your opposition.Force the opposition to reveal themselves.

Stealth and Unpredictability

The healer wants to restore, rejuvenate, refresh, and repair the negative consequences of human action. The healer is gentle and caring. The healer must have the ability to absorb the negative from without while preserving the positive within."Healing oneself takes courage and patience, healing others takes compassion and patience. Healing the planet requires extraordinary patience, tolerance and strength. When we heal ourselves, we heal others, when we heal others, we heal ourselves and when we heal the planet we heal all life upon it."

The Strategy of the Healer

The shaman connects the spiritual to the material reality. The Shaman is the spiritual guide for the movement. The shaman has great intuition, and the ability to tap into and be guided by the dream world. The shaman is perceptive, empathetic, selfless, and completely dedicated to the cause.

The Strategy of the Shaman

The artist exhibits respect for the Earth, bridges the gap between biocentric and anthropocentric humanity, and connects the present with the past and future. The artist is intuitive, imaginative, and can communicate effectively."The creations of the Earth are supreme and the only importance. The creations of humans are primarily vanity. [...] meaningful art is an inspiration."

The Strategy of the Artist

The life of a human is equal to the life of an animal. The life of an animal is equal to the life of a plant. The life of a plant is equal to the state of being of a mountain or a lake.

Earth is a spaceship. It travels at 250 kilometers per second. It has an outer hull and a force field protecting its occupants from space radiation. Its engine is remotely placed some 93,000 million miles away that sends power in the form of light and heat. Earth's internal generator provides additional heat, magnetic and electrical energy. Its life support system, the biosphere, provides everything its occupants need: oxygen, food, water, waste control. The biosphere is a complex system working with basic chemical elements in a medium primarily of water.

Spaceship Earth

<ol><li>The media is not concerned with facts.</li><li>The camera is the most powerful weapon on the planet.</li><li>Media manipulation is a matter of survival in a media culture.</li><li>Keep it simple.</li><li>Stay in control.</li><li>Emotion will always triumph over fact.</li><li>The medium is the message.</li><li>Objectivity in the media does not exist.</li><li>The media defines reality.</li><li>Do not trust everything you read, be skeptical about what you hear and question all that you see. All of your senses can be manipulated by media. You must armor yourself always with a healthy dose of doubt. Always question and investigate yourself. Accept nothing without inquiry.</li></ol>

The Laws of Media

In anthropocentric society, a harsh judgment is given to those that destroy or seek to destroy the creations of humanity. Monkey-wrench a bulldozer and they will call you a vandal. Spike a tree and they will call you a terrorist. Liberate a coyote from a trap and they will call you a thief. Yet if a human destroys the wonders of creation, the beauty of the natural world, then anthropocentric society calls such people loggers, miners, developers, engineers and businessmen.

Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.

<ol><li>The Law of Diversity</li><li>The Law of Interdependence</li><li>The Law of Finite Resources</li></ol>

The 3 Laws of Ecology

The consequences of our actions aren’t going to happen centuries from now. They’re going to happen within this century. Oceanic ecosystems are collapsing, now! The planet is getting warmer, now! Phytoplankton is being diminished, now! The planet is dying now, and we are killing it!

Change comes from the passion, imagination and courage of individuals.

Always exercise forethought and never make light of your opponent.Command the view of your terrain.Always post guards and work out a code of signals.Always give yourself room to retreat.Inspect locations where the enemy may lie in ambush or spy upon your movements.Pay close attention to the signs of nature.To avoid pursuit, do not run.That which is obvious is sometimes less suspect.Always plan your options for escape. Know the terrain.Keep a clear mind.Evaluate the risk.Always be in control of your actions.Trust in yourself.

Field Confrontation

Take up a position on accessible terrain.Seize the first advantage of a situation.On open ground you must move quickly and in a disciplined manner.Avoid entanglement and entrapment.Beware the prepared enemy.Don't let the enemy bait you out onto disadvantageous grounds.Do not allow your oppostion to choose your targets.Never pursue or seek out the enemy after they have taken possession of restricted terrain.Never assault a force occupying a position of height.Decisions of strategy in the field must be made in the field, it cannot be a bureaucratic decision.

Situation

There is nothing of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.

The strength of an eco-system is dependent upon the diversity of species within it.

The Law of Diversity

inspiration for the budding environmentalist

The war to save the eco-systems and the biodiversity of the Earth is history's most important struggle. It is also a war by humans to protect the Earth from humanity...from ourselves. This struggle, unique and profound, requires an equally profound and unique guide to strategy. This book answers this need.Captain Watson draws on the genius of Sun Tzu, the discipline of Miyamoto Musashi, the perception of Marshall McLuhan, and his own field experiences to present an effective strategical guide for any serious student of environmental or conservation activism. This is the 3rd updated edition of the book.

The Strategic Art

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