The only rational way to promote the safety of your people against your enemies is, by your repeated and public actions, to convince them that any attack will be met with a response that is both certain and disproportionate.
For example, if you rape one of our women, we will burn your village to the ground. For starters.
In short, you are only safe --more or less, since safety can never be guaranteed-- when your enemy is afraid of your lack of impulse control and your lack of civilized restraint.
This may encourage the members of your enemy group in restraining their own, for fear of your overdone reprisal.
Without that certainty and fear, he will constantly test your boundaries, expand his field and eventually come to look upon you as prey. Which you will in fact be.
Some things that are now looked upon as barbarism were actually quite rational.
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3 comments:
Niccolo did indeed agree with you: "... One has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge."
I think Theodore Roosevelt put it in simpler: "Speak quietly and carry a big stick."
-Sean
Addendum: those who think of you as an enemy have a thought that trumps your thought of them as a friend.
The Bishop of Portland
Well said, your Eminence. The Middle East, save for perhaps a couple exceptions, have repeatedly made clear that they do not want our friendship. We should honor their wishes, don't you think?
Of course, that leaves the question of Russia. Considering the fact that you can never get a straight answer out of a Russian, I have no idea how they see us.
-Sean
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