The Lure of Glory

"Men will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon". Napoleon Bonaparte

The United States attained glory by its Herculean victory in WW II. It has longed to repeat that glory. Old men want their tribe to bathe once again in the splendor of victory. Young men want to taste the glory with a victorious homecoming and parades down Main Street. Political leaders overflowing with puerile hauteur long to find a place in history. They all want to be "Churchillian". Military generals want to be the next Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, and carve a place in the history books for their names. They simply cannot sit still and practice defense only.

The desire for glory is innate in the individual. It transfers itself into a monster when it becomes a State. All States have started on the path to glory with agitprop and a delusional roseate view of themselves. Some have captured glory, but State glory is always fugacious. The desire for glory has contributed to the demise of empires.

When Napoléon Bonaparte had a glorious empire he was not satisfied.("My glory is declining. This little corner of Europe is too small to supply it. We must go East. All the great men of the world have there acquired their celebrity". Napoleon Bonaparte) He marched into Russia and was defeated. He and the French longed for a repeat of their glorious empire so they continued in their foolish quest, only to be defeated at Waterloo by the Sixth Coalition; Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and a number of German States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Coalition

It is natural for a group to try and become dominant. The dominant group always feels safer. There are two ways to survive; with one's own effort or the effort of others. The dominant group can always exploit the weaker group. Whenever groups feel threatened they will form coalitions against the stronger group. This is what happened to Napoleon. It happened to the other empires throughout history. This is what will happen to the United States as it continues its quest to capture the glory of the victory of WW II. Coalitions will form, as they already are, to defeat the empire. Borrowing money from other nations for the United States to finance its empire and wars will become difficult. The United States empire will become bankrupt, as has happened throughout history to other empires.

States do not gain power by peace, except through sound economic policies. They usually gain power by doing more. More is usually domestic programs or war. Only States can make war. Of course there can be a war between families or tribes, but their death and destruction is limited as they have to pay for their violence out of pocket. The State can counterfeit money to finance their wars, which eventually cause bankruptcy. For fiscal year 2008 President Bush is asking for a 16% increase in the budget for the U. S. Army! This is after the United States empire already spends more per capital on defense than any other country.

The desire for glory creates an interventionist policy if a group is dominant, as is the United States. The dominate group cannot help itself. The lure of conquest and power is too great. According to the defense department this interventionist policy of the United States for the past 50 years has made the United States a target of one third of the world's terrorists attacks. http://www.cato.org/pubs/fpbriefs/fpb-050es.html This interventionist policy will make our children and their children's children targets of terrorist attacks.

Bilbo Baggins