"Politics is the highest and most powerful dimension of all historical existence. World history is the history of states; the history of states is the history of wars. Ideas, when they press for decisions, assume the form of political units: countries, peoples, or parties. They must be fought over not with words but with weapons. Economic warfare becomes military warfare between countries or within countries. Religious associations such as Jewry and Mohammedanism, Huguenots and Mormons, ...
... constitute themselves as countries when it becomes a matter of their continued existence or their success. Everything that proceeds from the innermost soul to become flesh or fleshly creation demands a sacrifice of flesh in return. Ideas that have become blood demand blood. War is the eternal pattern of higher human existence, and countries exist for wars sake; they are signs of readiness for war. And even if a tired and blood-drained humanity desired to do away with war ...
... like the citizens of the Classical world during its final centuries, like the Indians and Chinese of today, it would merely exchange its role of war-wager for that of the object about and with which others would wage war. Even if a Faustian universal harmony could be attained, masterful types on the order of late Roman, late Chinese, or late Egyptian Caesars would battle each other for this Empire—for the possession of it, if its final form were capitalistic; ...
@GreatGrumbledook: us Dutch don't believe in war. We believe in bringing democratic development and feminism to Afghanistan in F16s. On the quoting business, you could have made it easier for yourself with Machiavelli: "There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others." Although I must admit Spengler's quote "ideas that have become blood demand blood" is a lot more poetic.
@GHCAP: Normally you can play off the Germans and Italians easily but in this case Spengler and Machiavelli are birds of the selfsame feather; and stop me your cosmopolite folly: The foul minions of the vile Camel Merchant Cult will prevail in Bactria; and you Dutch may smoke their highly illegal weed lawfully but your folly will fail there.
He does not sound like a tough grizzled old soldier but some kind of dandified Nancy boy, who is afraid of wars and he is indubitably no sea-dog but the sort of pasty landlubber I have always despised. I'll warrant, the most exciting thing that has happened to this limpid prawn in a whole year, was the day when he forgot to put sugar in his porridge!
@modernwarfarenoob: And who is this Idiot Rory you spoke of and what are his views about this new global American folly of late? Or are you talking of yourself in the third person, just as sweet Julius Caesar did in his Commentaries or Thucydides in his history of the Peloponnesian War?
@GreatGrumbledook Then read his books, maybe you get some better info on the guy. He walked through Afghanistan alone in 2003 when you were very safe on your big ship shooting tomahawks :-).
@GHCAP: I shall do no such thing! As I am too busy with reading books about the wars of Pompey the Great and the true disciplines of the wars, the Roman disciplines! Besides we French do not have the custom of throwing Indian weapons from our ships! The only person I recall doing so was Alexander the Great, who did cast a spear on the land to mark his claim of conquest in Asia; and without my three attendants lean famine, quartering steel and climbing fire I would not enter such a country!
@GHCAP: Do you feeble little Dutch person charge mighty France with cowardice? The Germans alone might do so due to their infamous lighting war of 1940, but they did not:
"France has been defeated, and after offering heroic resistance, caved in as a consequence of a single bloody battle. However, Germany does not have the intention to use the armistice conditions and armistice negotiations as a form of humiliation against such a valiant opponent."
@GHCAP: If you are referring to War (and all true history consists of wars) I have very bad news for you; as I will invoke Heraclitus on war: "War is both father and king of all, some he has shown forth as gods and others as men, some he has made slaves and others free." - and also Oswald Spengler:
I have listened to his peeches, seen him talk on prime time news channels, hism book and news pappers. Rory knows Afghanistan and Afghan people better then anyone I know of in the western world, both the military and Political elite Need his advise and input to be realistic and succeed. He has done so much good for the people and country of Afghanistan and is well respected there.
"Politics is the highest and most powerful dimension of all historical existence. World history is the history of states; the history of states is the history of wars. Ideas, when they press for decisions, assume the form of political units: countries, peoples, or parties. They must be fought over not with words but with weapons. Economic warfare becomes military warfare between countries or within countries. Religious associations such as Jewry and Mohammedanism, Huguenots and Mormons, ...
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
... constitute themselves as countries when it becomes a matter of their continued existence or their success. Everything that proceeds from the innermost soul to become flesh or fleshly creation demands a sacrifice of flesh in return. Ideas that have become blood demand blood. War is the eternal pattern of higher human existence, and countries exist for wars sake; they are signs of readiness for war. And even if a tired and blood-drained humanity desired to do away with war ...
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
... like the citizens of the Classical world during its final centuries, like the Indians and Chinese of today, it would merely exchange its role of war-wager for that of the object about and with which others would wage war. Even if a Faustian universal harmony could be attained, masterful types on the order of late Roman, late Chinese, or late Egyptian Caesars would battle each other for this Empire—for the possession of it, if its final form were capitalistic; ...
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
... or for the highest rank in it, if it should become socialistic."
@GHCAP: So the wars will never and.
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
Comment removed
GHCAP 2 years ago
@GreatGrumbledook: us Dutch don't believe in war. We believe in bringing democratic development and feminism to Afghanistan in F16s. On the quoting business, you could have made it easier for yourself with Machiavelli: "There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others." Although I must admit Spengler's quote "ideas that have become blood demand blood" is a lot more poetic.
GHCAP 2 years ago
@GHCAP: Normally you can play off the Germans and Italians easily but in this case Spengler and Machiavelli are birds of the selfsame feather; and stop me your cosmopolite folly: The foul minions of the vile Camel Merchant Cult will prevail in Bactria; and you Dutch may smoke their highly illegal weed lawfully but your folly will fail there.
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
He does not sound like a tough grizzled old soldier but some kind of dandified Nancy boy, who is afraid of wars and he is indubitably no sea-dog but the sort of pasty landlubber I have always despised. I'll warrant, the most exciting thing that has happened to this limpid prawn in a whole year, was the day when he forgot to put sugar in his porridge!
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
idiot rory has a fantastic and insightfull view into the war on terror
modernwarfarenoob 2 years ago
@modernwarfarenoob: And who is this Idiot Rory you spoke of and what are his views about this new global American folly of late? Or are you talking of yourself in the third person, just as sweet Julius Caesar did in his Commentaries or Thucydides in his history of the Peloponnesian War?
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
@GreatGrumbledook Then read his books, maybe you get some better info on the guy. He walked through Afghanistan alone in 2003 when you were very safe on your big ship shooting tomahawks :-).
GHCAP 2 years ago
@GHCAP: I shall do no such thing! As I am too busy with reading books about the wars of Pompey the Great and the true disciplines of the wars, the Roman disciplines! Besides we French do not have the custom of throwing Indian weapons from our ships! The only person I recall doing so was Alexander the Great, who did cast a spear on the land to mark his claim of conquest in Asia; and without my three attendants lean famine, quartering steel and climbing fire I would not enter such a country!
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
Hahah then so be it, a truly wise decision for a Frenchperson.
GHCAP 2 years ago
@GHCAP: Do you feeble little Dutch person charge mighty France with cowardice? The Germans alone might do so due to their infamous lighting war of 1940, but they did not:
"France has been defeated, and after offering heroic resistance, caved in as a consequence of a single bloody battle. However, Germany does not have the intention to use the armistice conditions and armistice negotiations as a form of humiliation against such a valiant opponent."
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
Besides the Netherlands did fall under the very same German onslaught, so you have railed against your own country as well as against France.
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
@GreatGrumbledook Seems to me it's all just history repeating. No lessons learned! When will it end!
GHCAP 2 years ago
@GHCAP: If you are referring to War (and all true history consists of wars) I have very bad news for you; as I will invoke Heraclitus on war: "War is both father and king of all, some he has shown forth as gods and others as men, some he has made slaves and others free." - and also Oswald Spengler:
GreatGrumbledook 2 years ago
I have listened to his peeches, seen him talk on prime time news channels, hism book and news pappers. Rory knows Afghanistan and Afghan people better then anyone I know of in the western world, both the military and Political elite Need his advise and input to be realistic and succeed. He has done so much good for the people and country of Afghanistan and is well respected there.
ZIVONZivon 2 years ago