Carthago Delenda Est
As an exchange student in a British public school in 1951-52, I was surprised to discover that the preferred background course of study for those planning to enter the foreign service was the classics rather than modern history and languages. Those being prepared to administer the Empire were expected to learn how the ancient Greeks and Romans did it.
Needless to say the brutal Romans had no compunctions about annihilating persons or states which had the temerity to challenge their authority. Terrorist suspects (zealots) were summarily executed (e.g. Jesus of Nazareth) and nations that defied Roman authority faced annihilation (e.g. the Temple in Jerusalem and the Jewish state with it in 70 A.D.).
The best known instance of Roman retribution was the destruction of Carthage, the North African city state that had presented the greatest challenge to Roman authority:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/punicwars/a/thirdpunicwar.htm
The Roman practice of annihilation (literally 'reducing to nothing') was devised as an object lesson for other potential rebels against Roman authority. The superb Roman military establishment would arrive at the gates of a potential vassal state and offer two options -- surrender and agree to pay taxes to Rome -- or be totally destroyed tomorrow.
I offer this background because it looks as though the military strategists in Israel have chosen a modified version of Roman retaliation -- threaten Israel with terrorist attacks and your entire population will suffer collective punishment -- Gaza's and Lebanon's roads, bridges, power plants, means of communication and transportation, and some innocent civilians annihilated.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but the very limitations of modern civilization do not allow Israel to carry through with what would be a Roman genocidal Holocaust or a Machiavellian extinction of a ruling elite. Israel will only be able to do a half way job and in this era of instant visual communication this infliction of suffering over the long run will most likely produce the worst of possible outcomes for Israel -- a nation and a people that has merely engendered hatred in its victims and contempt from its would be supporters.
I do not wish this fate for Israel, but this caution has to be voiced. There is an aftermath to be considered. A modern day Carthage cannot be destroyed; the suffering Palestinians and Lebanese will remain a festering sore in the world's consciousness unless Israel finds better ways.
The real fault here lies with the Bush administration -- dallying and leaving Israel cruelly swinging in the breeze. The bottom line is that our gun slinging cowboy from Texas has been trying to play big tough Roman Emperor -- but has created the current chaos in the Middle East of which the the current clash between Israel and its tormentors is an offshoot. How tragic for all over there who are suffering the cruel byproducts of American greed, hypocrisy, and incompetence in the face of this very real emergency.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
Needless to say the brutal Romans had no compunctions about annihilating persons or states which had the temerity to challenge their authority. Terrorist suspects (zealots) were summarily executed (e.g. Jesus of Nazareth) and nations that defied Roman authority faced annihilation (e.g. the Temple in Jerusalem and the Jewish state with it in 70 A.D.).
The best known instance of Roman retribution was the destruction of Carthage, the North African city state that had presented the greatest challenge to Roman authority:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/punicwars/a/thirdpunicwar.htm
The Roman practice of annihilation (literally 'reducing to nothing') was devised as an object lesson for other potential rebels against Roman authority. The superb Roman military establishment would arrive at the gates of a potential vassal state and offer two options -- surrender and agree to pay taxes to Rome -- or be totally destroyed tomorrow.
I offer this background because it looks as though the military strategists in Israel have chosen a modified version of Roman retaliation -- threaten Israel with terrorist attacks and your entire population will suffer collective punishment -- Gaza's and Lebanon's roads, bridges, power plants, means of communication and transportation, and some innocent civilians annihilated.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but the very limitations of modern civilization do not allow Israel to carry through with what would be a Roman genocidal Holocaust or a Machiavellian extinction of a ruling elite. Israel will only be able to do a half way job and in this era of instant visual communication this infliction of suffering over the long run will most likely produce the worst of possible outcomes for Israel -- a nation and a people that has merely engendered hatred in its victims and contempt from its would be supporters.
I do not wish this fate for Israel, but this caution has to be voiced. There is an aftermath to be considered. A modern day Carthage cannot be destroyed; the suffering Palestinians and Lebanese will remain a festering sore in the world's consciousness unless Israel finds better ways.
The real fault here lies with the Bush administration -- dallying and leaving Israel cruelly swinging in the breeze. The bottom line is that our gun slinging cowboy from Texas has been trying to play big tough Roman Emperor -- but has created the current chaos in the Middle East of which the the current clash between Israel and its tormentors is an offshoot. How tragic for all over there who are suffering the cruel byproducts of American greed, hypocrisy, and incompetence in the face of this very real emergency.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
posted by Ed Kent at 10:39 AM
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