Posted by
Andrews on Monday, May 19, 2008 1:49:09 PM
My last article on Obama's comment about "tiny" Iran reminded me of something else I have pondered lately, does not one learn history any more?
I mentioned there how "tiny" Serbia launched a war bringing in all the major powers of the time, but that is hardly the only example of how little relative size matters. Does anyone recall the Persian War, and how "tiny" Sparta and "tiny" Athens defeated repeatedly the "huge" Persian Empire? I know most Christians are not familiar with the entire story of Hanukkah, but at least the story of the brief Jewish independence from foreign rule should be known. Yet again, a tiny power threw off the yoke of a massive power, the Seleucid Empire, and managed to establish an independent state. (Well, until defeated by a different massive power, Rome.)
And, lest anyone think I am sticking to ancient examples because this is no longer relevant in modernt imes, I would point to the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. Though the Finns did eventually negotiate and surrender some land, they held out much, much longer than anyone anticipated. Or perhaps the trouble that "tiny" Afghanistan caused for the "huge" Soviet Union is an even better example.
Of course, Obama also completely overlooks the harm that Iran could create by supporting terrorists with just funding, much less with biological, chemical or nuclear weapons. But even ignoring that, history says that tiny nations have a pretty good track record causing problems for overconfident large nations.
Perhaps we should ask that our politicians have at least the equivalent of a high school history class before holding office?