Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

" “grab them by the belt”" is consistent with 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'

AI Overview

"Keep your friends close but your enemies closer" is a famous strategic maxim advising that monitoring rivals directly is more effective than ignoring them. Popularized by Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974), it emphasizes maintaining close proximity to adversaries to understand their motivations, predict moves, and prevent surprise attacks.

Key Aspects of the Phrase:

* Origin: While frequently misattributed to Sun Tzu or Machiavelli, the specific, popular phrasing comes from the script of The Godfather Part II, spoken by Al Pacino's character, Michael Corleone.

* Meaning: By keeping enemies close—perhaps through superficial friendship or professional, polite interaction—you can monitor their actions and prevent them from harming you, notes wikiHow.

* Strategic Application: This approach focuses on reducing uncertainty. Instead of treating enemies as distant threats, you treat them as subjects of observation.

* Theatrical Quote: "My father taught me many things here. He taught me in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close but your enemies closer".

Note: While often attributed to Sun Tzu, it is not found in traditional translations of The Art of War, although it aligns with the philosophy of knowing your enemy.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=keep+your+friends+close+and+your+enemies+closer