Sun Tzu and Albania

2025-07-26 10:19:00, Opinione Ardi Stefa

Sun Tzu and Albania

One of Sun Tzu's most famous expressions in "The Art of War", which can be adapted to the Albanian reality, political, institutional or social, is:

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you will not fear the outcome of a hundred battles. If you do not know the enemy but know yourself, you will win some and lose some. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle."

Why does it go to Albania?

Because often, in Albanian politics or governance:

Lack of real recognition of the problems (of the enemy/opponent),

There is an overestimation or lack of recognition of one's own capacities (self),

Decisions are made more for momentary victory than for long-term strategy.

Decisions are made to defeat the opponent within the species, rather than the real opponent.

This expression can be read as a criticism of the Albanian national strategy, arrogance, lack of analysis, and the blind war that often takes place on the Albanian public stage.

Therefore, Sun Tzu's expression can be interpreted: "Albanians lose many battles, not because they lack energy, but because they do not know themselves, much less the challenges they face."

But let's get back to the essence of the saying:

"If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose all battles." - said Sun Tzu, who fortunately did not live in Albania.

"If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose all battles." - said Sun Tzu (who did not know that in Albania you lose even when you win).

Because in Albania, the enemy is someone who takes your place, not someone who takes your breath away.

We know ourselves so little that when the mirror appears before us, we blame the system and break the mirror.

National strategy?

A mixture of propaganda, personal grudges, chronic pathological anger, and family appointments.

We fight corruption with declarations, youth exodus with slogans, unemployment with "press conferences", and injustice with organized silence.

In Albania, we do not lose battles to the enemy.

We lose them because our leaders have not read The Art of War, but even if they have, they have understood it as a manual for political survival, not for national well-being.

In our country: We invent the enemy according to the season!

We call ourselves either "the best in the Balkans" or "wretched and cursed by history."

– We choose battles according to television, not according to needs.

– We measure victory with "likes" and hide defeat with tenders.

Sun Tzu said to think before you fight.

We fight... and then we ask why Europe doesn't love us.

At the end of the day, we are not without strategy.

We are simply a permanent tactic in national self-immolation./ CNA