Also on the war in Iraq, but from a pro-Bush perspective, is an article by Troy Senik (Pepperdine University Graphic), beginning with this appeal to antiquity:
It is fitting that the United States, the logical successor to Greece and Rome (and later, Britain) as the defender of western civilization, can trace the origins of its current confusions to these two legendary powers. Like the Greeks before us, we have no appreciation for the full gravity of war. In a parallel with the Romans, we expect the fruits of victory to be served at little cost because of our overarching strength. Like both, we face the very real prospect of our expectations crippling our potential for success.
...I'm not sure what he means by the Greeks not appreciating the gravity of war, but...[UPDATE: Senik has contacted me to say that he was thinking especially of Athenian bellicosity before the Peloponnesian War; so there's more to it than I initially thought...editors!!] He goes on to cite Pericles by way of conclusion:
Peering one last time into antiquity, Americans should take to heart the words of the ancient Athenian general Pericles: “To be hated and disliked in season has been the situation for all alike, whenever any have claimed the right to rule over anyone else; but whoever gains unpopularity for the greatest ends is well advised. For hatred does not last long, but the brilliance of the moment and glory in the future remain in eternal memory.”
[Thuc. 2.64]
Pace Senik, I hope this is not the last time Americans peer into antiquity...besides which, "claiming the right to rule over" others was not, I thought, what the Iraq war was about...besides which, the example of Athens in the Peloponnesian war is not exactly a propitious omen to invoke...[UPDATE: Here, Senik says he recognizes the irony, but had also included references to Pericles being a moderating influence until his death; after that, things like the Sicilian Expedition come into play...]
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