Given the current state of political discourse in the city, it may be worth reflecting on Sun Tzus Art of War.
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general in the 6th century B.C. who wrote that influential book on military strategy.
The war we are in is the municipal election campaign, although it is often obscured by other political activities such as the HST referendum and the possibility of a provincial election.
The principal combatants in this fight are the current mayor, Visions Gregor Robertson, and the NPA wannabe mayor, Suzanne Anton.
Simply put, the strategic differences mainly consist of Anton attempting to engage in battle and Robertson refusing.
Which calls to mind one Sun Tzu quote in particular: What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.
Since accepting the NPA nomination on May 18, Anton has been attempting to differentiate herself from Robertson and taking every opportunity, as you would expect, to go on the attack. Given the election is still more than four months away, this could be called a prolonged operation.
This week, Anton has been demanding a public debate between her and Robertson on the subject of the Stanley Cup riots. The editor of The Georgia Straight says he would happily stickhandle the discussion and put it on the papers website verbatim.
The timing of the demand might be questioned given that the province, the city and the cops are all in the midst of investigations of the matter. But I suppose, you cant blame Anton for trying.
She did well last week when she engaged in a bit of political theatricsnothing new to regular political observers, but it was effective. It reminded me of then-NDP leader of the Opposition Dave Barrett fairly regularly getting himself thrown out of the legislature.
Again Anton wanted to debate the hockey riot, Robertsons Riot, and Robertson held her to the five-minute time limit council follows. She stomped out and that pushed her story onto the front pages on both Vancouver daily papers.
Vision councillors sniffed dismissively at these antics, of course. Robertson remained unruffled as if following Sun Tzus advice: Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness.
He and Vision may be soundless but they are preparing for battle. Two weeks ago, one senior party functionary weakened the opposition arsenal when he announced Vision would no longer accept foreign donations. It was no great loss, less than one per cent of their funds raised last time out, but it has been used as a big stick to beat them with by the NPA.
That same week, they also saw their deal with COPE, to work together during the next election, win approval at that partys AGM when two-thirds of the delegates followed the lead set by the party executive and all COPEs elected officials.
That result should also put a stop to former COPE councillor Tim Louiss ability to gain his partys nomination, a move that would have put the whole deal with Vision in serious jeopardy.
None of this has deterred Anton though. While the Stanley Cup riot represents the latest front in her attempt to engage her opponent, she regularly returns to another scene in the battle: the attack on Robertsons green policies.
I am still convinced those policies, short formed by the NPA as bees on roofs and chickens in backyards, are more popular than not. Anton is presumably getting very different advice telling her that it will pay politically to continue referring to her enemies as eco-activists masquerading as civic politicians.
Through it all she remains tenacious while her opponent feigns indifference. We will have to wait for the results to see who was most clever on that score. As Sun Tzu says: a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.
agarr@vancourier.com
