Burkett's Laws
by Bill Burkett | Sep 29 2006 - 8:30am

I've been blessed with an extremely full life. Within it, I have served 28 plus years in uniform first as enlisted man and then as an officer. I've reached senior staff levels at theatre, corps, division, brigade, battalion and company level with two command assignments.

I've been honored and challenged to be a leader within the war planning and wargaming/trainup for Desert Storm. I have been a director of instruction and Deputy Commandant for the nation's highest ranked non-academy, training program overseeing and training officers, warrant officers and non commissioned officers. I have been the Officer in charge of special operations and special mission training prior to deployment.

In the civilian World, I have been a banker, director of a statewide continuing education and community support program, a staff member of the Economic Development Administration team and a certified Management Consultant and business owner/operator for seventeen years prior to a near fatal illness.

I have been blessed.

But there are certain life experiences that I try so very hard to pass along that really have value - I think - in today's environment.

BURKETT's LAWS are a list of 300 common sense concepts that I have either been taught or learned over the past four decades. Some are original. Most are not. They are the products of experience and observation are a challenging and ridiculous World.

National Security

1. War is the result of someone finally attacking someone else. It is the outcome of greed, power or relentless and disrespectful condescension. That's the old definition - Pre Bush.

2. Post Bush, War is the result of CONDESCENSION and disrespect for the inherent right of all people to live within their own life, religion, and environment without the dictates of others - national or individual. It is the outcome of not communicating or respecting others who may or may not agree.

3. War is an indicator not of strength but of weakness; not of victory, but of failure.

4. War is DEADLY but only to those ordered to fight it; and those who have war descend upon their private lives.

5. War is Profitable. Beware of those who have cries for war; check their pockets and usually what they see was a personal economic opportunity rather than good for all mankind.

6. PEACE was and is the goal of Christ. Peace in society is the beacon of success. Peace brings prosperity for all economic strata's and groups. War only enriches the wealthy and powerful.

7. PEACE is a direct reflection of honesty and integrity. It takes far more courage and honesty to speak face to face on what we as people have in common and what and how we differ than to stand back and lob or elevate to 30,000 feet and drop munitions.

8. SHOCK AND AWE are concepts designed by over stimulated junior officers who have not yet seen the blood of a battlefield. They lack adult supervision, wisdom and focus.

9. PEACE requires courage. War is the path of cowards.

10. Every nation is equal since all People are equal within the eyes of God and all Prophets.

11. No nation, no People and no Ruler has an inherent right nor allowed responsibility to rule another sovereignty. That is the definition of sovereignty. Sovereignty is worth fighting for in all realms because that is what keeps the peace and respect among nations.

Interrogation techniques

These are all learned, practiced and taught experiences from survival escape and evasion and interrogation techniques, provided both in special operations training and US Army basic training.

1. You draw more flies with honey than with vinegar. Sincerity is the best interrogation technique and Respect under rides all successful information gathering.

2. Have a plan. Know the phases of human acceptance. Attempts to break individuals are almost always counterproductive. It's the difference between the "horse whisperer" and the "bully". And the outcome is just as reflective.

3. Make sure that anyone who accesses a prisoner or subject is of the right professional and personality type. As a result, upon detainment, only allow designated people to access the prisoner. Never allow a bully, nor a sleaze to access a prisoner. Only provide stable environments. Visualize "The Long Green Mile", not "Abu Ghraib".

4. Practicing lies only yields lies. Practicing deceit only yields deceit. Every action that you take as a captor will be MIRRORED.

5. Terror always revisits you multiplied by tens.

6. Don't cry Wolf. Don't forget the story but for sure don't forget the outcome.

Fiscal Management

1. Figures don't lie; Liars figure.

2. Beware of multiple books.

3. 99 out of every 100 dollars that are stolen, are stolen on the books and with accounting assistance. But the focus will always be directed to the burglar or armed thief. This is a distraction, not an answer. Always be wary of the man pointing the finger elsewhere.

4. Beware of people who give moving answers. Evolvement was meant for long periods of time, not a single story.

5. Kiting is a term used by banks to protect themselves, not others. But the principle of kiting is an indication of creative accountability. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul is another reflection of being deceptive, not creative. Once found, it is the tip of the iceberg of future outcomes.

Good Management

1. Good management is when the lowest man on the totem pole know exactly what the boss expects of him/her and understands what the boss is trying to accomplish - to the point that they can make decisions and act confidently without slowing down. The outcome is a DECISIVE organization filled with confident and happily fulfilled people.

2. Transparency reflects integrity; but it also inspires integrity and accountability.

3. There has to be a willingness by good leaders to accept risk.

4. Failing organizations say the boss is always right; thriving organizations say the Boss is always responsible.

5. Authority can be delegated; Responsibility Can Not; Accountability is never denied.

6. Good leaders communicate with vision and intent allowing their subordinates to use guile and cunning; and the full breadth and depth of their area of operations to accomplish and exploit actions to accomplish that vision and intent. This is true not only militarily but in business.

7. Circling the Wagons was an old mode of defense. It was a failed mode. Circling the wagons by its very nature concentrates all of the defense in a single point not allowing for exploitation of counterattack. It also focuses the attack in one place. By circling the wagons, the only chance for success are two. First the attackers who have the upper hand must give up. Second there must be outside help that come to the rescue in a timely and coordinated manner. if you don't believe circling the wagons is a poor defense, just ask why so many wagon trains got destroyed on the road west.

The option is counterattacking in the open and changing the dynamics of the field.

These apply militarily and to business and politics.

Integrity

1. Telling a liar the truth seldom yields honesty. Liars still use their tools of selectivity, manipulation, and context to lie in spite of the truth.

2. Trying to teach a liar to tell the truth is like teaching a fish to walk on dry land.

3. Integrity and credibility are the products of unfaltering truth; so certain that people never think about it. If they question you, it's a pretty good indication they are either trying to bounce you from the truth, or you telegraphed something that didn't sound just right.

4. The sense of smell is stronger than the sense of logic. Therefore, if it smells funny, it's probably rotten.

The Bottom Line of Burkett's Law's is Burkett's LAW.

Murphy's Law is that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, at the most inopportune time.

BURKETT's LAW is that Murphy was an Optimist.

_______

About author Lt. Col. Burkett, Texas National Guard, ret., lives in Texas. He is the whistleblower who let the world know about the coverup of George Bush's going awol from the National Guard. BBurkett16@aol.com

Vote Result ++++++++++ Score: 10.0, Votes: 4

HOTEL BRAVO owned by "HOTELBRAVO.ORG"

Olberman gets History and definitions CORRECT...Rummy doesn't!
* * * * * * *

VA WATCH DOG dot ORG (Watching The VA, Because Somebody Has To!)