“Conquests and wars of choice always bring unexpected consequences and never bring happiness. The seeking for security with massive armies is an illusion. While you are fighting to be secure, matters at home all too often deteriorate, especially if only a small part of the population benefits from the profits.” (Montaigne)
Tell this to the people who are claiming that America armed forces have been allowed to decline; that as President, they will boost expenditure on them, and that we should still be occupying Iraq, Afghanistan, sorting out Syria and Libya, punishing North Korea, confronting Cuba and generally policing the world. Oh, and reducing the national debt simultaneously. Perpetual war equals perpetual decline. Montaigne was smart enough to spot this centuries ago; our politicians and special interests have yet to absorb the lessons of history.
One of the reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire was perpetual warfare. They were constantly engaged in battle against the Germanic and Celtic tribes, to say nothing of the Visigoths. This cost of lot of money, which was felt through higher taxes and inflation (the coins became thinner.) Meanwhile, it also required a lot of able-bodied men- the sort of people you need in a dynamic workforce. Meanwhile, Rome was dominated by charismatic yet militaristic leaders who promised glory abroad but failed to reverse the decline at home. Eventually the Empire overstretched itself. With its defences wearing thin, rebellions became more frequent. This, combined with the chaotic state of domestic politics (witnessed the regularity of Emperors being assassinated), and a once great empire collapsed, plunging Europe into the Dark Ages.
America today faces a similar situation. It is overstretched abroad, with a decreasing number of allies. The domestic policy scene is chaotic (albeit not as violent as Imperial Rome), with charismatic leaders (Trump and Cruz) promising glory in battle. Meanwhile, establishment politicians like Rubio and Clinton say that America should increase its commitments to the rest of the world; both politicians strongly support the bombing, and we may even see the redeployment of American troops in the Middle East. In an age of austerity, this is unsustainable. We either vote for the candidate that promises an end to perpetual warfare in favour of investing in our own future (Sanders), or American civilisation will go into decline, leaving room for more sinister powers to take the lead.
Owen, one of your best! Preserve it and use it in an essay! Or maybe I should , with permission , use it as a posting? You are absolutely right.
Feel free to use it yourself if you like!