Pete Hegseth, now the U.S. Secretary of War, has declared his intent to restore the "warrior ethos" to the U.S. military and has consistently pushed for war on China. To teach Hegseth a lesson about China and peace, we are sending him Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Sign the petition to add your name to the letter!
We are sending you the book The Art of War by ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, and we advize you to read it. If you want to understand what it truly means to be a warrior, begin here. Ancient Chinese philosophy teaches that real strength lies in wisdom, restraint, and the ability to achieve peace without ever fighting.
You have loudly declared your intent to “restore the warrior ethos,” to wage war “decisively,” and to build a military of “maximum lethality.” You speak of “violent effect” as if it were a mark of strength. What you fail to recognize is that this path does not make the United States more secure, nor does it command respect. It only signals reckless aggression and a willingness to drag the world into catastrophic conflict.
We also advise you to learn more about China. The country you are so eager to attack has a long tradition of emphasizing peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and non-intervention. China’s modern political approach is deeply rooted in this history, from Confucian and Daoist ideas of balance and harmony to socialist principles of collective development. As President Xi Jinping said during the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II: “History cautions us that humanity rises and falls together only when all countries treat each other as equals.” That is the foundation of China’s global outlook, not the caricature of aggression you promote.
We urge you to read the book we’ve sent and take the time to understand China, its history, philosophy, and commitment to peaceful development. As Sun Tzu wrote: “The enlightened ruler is prudent; the effective general is cautious. This is the way to keep a nation at peace.” If you truly care about the United States and the world, stop glorifying war and start practicing dialogue and understanding.
For peace,