America now has the opportunity to learn from history. What is the problem? The problem is a divided country, people fight from republicans to liberal to socialist to libertarians. Nobody knows the true direction.
There are examples of such a situation in history, and perhaps we can learn from that.
The most obvious example is the example of the fightings between Rome and Phoenicia. Rome was, at the time, a new state with an expanding circle of influence. There were many established states, but the most established at the time of 200 BC, were the Phoenicians. It was a truly remarkable culture, we owe it so much; our classical architecture, our writing, algebra, and many other items of our current civilization.
But the newcomer and the established powers clashed first over Sardinia, then over the hegemony of the sea. Phoenicia had amazing ships with an impressive maneuverability and three rows, sometimes even more of oars to each side.
At the outset of the conflict the Phoenicians did not think much of the obnoxious Roman, they saw the, rightfully so, as primitive and crude. They were, by all measures, much more advanced and skilled in most spheres.
But the conflicts continued, and at a certain point the Phoenicians send one of their superior generals and a hired army to confront the irritating Romans.
I did not work very well, the Romans chased them around, after all, the soldiers were not Phoenicians, but hired mercenaries doing the job for a penny or two.
The Phoenicians dismissed it, and redrew from the territory the Romans wanted. Who could bother anyway? Well, the Romans did, their best consulates stood up continually and reminded the Romans, that they should worry about the Phoenicians, just as Churchill did with England, and the Phoenicians, at the other hand chased the best of their own, because only the best will have the courage in such a situation.
At the end of the day, Hannibal Barca, of the renowned Barca family, fled to Spain (that was how Spain was founded), build an army so impressive that, it has a true chance against the Romans. And he attacked the foe, but without any backing from home. He valiantly wandered over mountaintops, through marches of deadly intent, into the heartland of the Romans, bringing with him his feared and renowned fighting elephants. As auxiliary riders he had the coal black Nubian riders and, at the core, he stood, the best of his generation, but he was lonely. Because all the backup he had, was his brother.
The fighting commenced, and the Romans fought on, soldiering on, from battle to battle. The fighters were the core of the Roman populace; the farmer citizens. Rallying for Rome. They put out their camps in that Etruscans way, and fought with the grace and the courage as only Romans could do.
They never beat Hannibal, but they chased him into a corner, where he could do no harm. His brother tried to rescue him, but he was not the genius as Hannibal. So he went down.
After the arduous fighting in the heartland of the Romans, the Romans retaliated. They mounted an impressive army, and send it to Phoenicia. But first, they had to learn how to build an armada. First attack was repulsed, not by the Phoenicians, but by the wind and the storms that the Romans did not know how to control. Second armada did land, but did not conquer Phoenicia. It was not until the third or the fourth try, that the Romans actually did conquer Phoenicia.
It was a truly epic battle. On one side stood the Romans and the farmer boys turned into warriors, led by the famous Scipio Africanus. On the other side stood a vast army, led by the famous Hannibal Barca. But the fighters he had to his disposal, were vain, cowardly. Too fed up by themselves, and not worth much.
So Hannibal lost, on that battle ground, lost, not because of lack of skill, or lack of courage. But because the Phoenicians were a bunch of no good, cowards who did not have the spine to do anything, but lay on their behinds and drink the latest beverage of this or that winesort.
They were so cowardly that they had chosen to persecute the best in themselves (Hannibal), and not as the Romans, stood up, as a nation to the dangers knocking at the door.
This example could be used, both in Europe and in the United States of America. To remind us of the wisdom of the Romans. They were a hard and crude people in many ways, but they stood together in times of danger, and so should we.
As they say; divided we fall, united we stand.
G-d bless the courage of the young and bold.
