Hal Brands dismisses the idea that wars between great powers may begin by accident: The reality, as the historian Marc Trachtenberg has shown, is that countries tend to avoid war when neither really desires it. Yes, leaders do sometimes misjudge how wars will turn out and how destructive they will be. Tensions can gradually ratchet up in a way that makes de-escalation progressively harder.
DL wrote: We forget the role of emotion and nationalism in these crises, and we forget how deranged we have become in moments of crisis.
Well, I, for one, did not (and will never) forget either of these things when Bush and the media in 2003 ginned up support for the Iraq invasion. And many people felt exactly as I did, but it had zero effect.
Sometimes I wonder if humans have an inherent bloodlust. Killing fellow humans seems almost instinctive for some. Much of the reading I have done since March supports this idea.
We need leaders who are not blinded by emotion and false ideas. But where are they? How can we cultivate the production of truly enlightened individuals who acknowledge and yet work against the worse angels of our nature? I fear this is what Ben Franklin meant when he spoke about the challenge of keeping a Republic.
PS Thanks for the complimentary sub. The blogroll at Balloon Juice now points to this site. And I always try to remind folks whenever possible of the existence of rational conservatives. But these days it's down to you and Margaret Hoover.
DL wrote: We forget the role of emotion and nationalism in these crises, and we forget how deranged we have become in moments of crisis.
Well, I, for one, did not (and will never) forget either of these things when Bush and the media in 2003 ginned up support for the Iraq invasion. And many people felt exactly as I did, but it had zero effect.
Sometimes I wonder if humans have an inherent bloodlust. Killing fellow humans seems almost instinctive for some. Much of the reading I have done since March supports this idea.
We need leaders who are not blinded by emotion and false ideas. But where are they? How can we cultivate the production of truly enlightened individuals who acknowledge and yet work against the worse angels of our nature? I fear this is what Ben Franklin meant when he spoke about the challenge of keeping a Republic.
PS Thanks for the complimentary sub. The blogroll at Balloon Juice now points to this site. And I always try to remind folks whenever possible of the existence of rational conservatives. But these days it's down to you and Margaret Hoover.