“The continual disappearance of prior cultures…should warn us that even familiar twenty-first-century states can become as fragile as their ancient counterparts, given that the arts of destruction march in tandem with improvements in defense. The gullibility, and indeed ignorance, of contemporary governments and leaders about the intent, hatred, ruthlessness, and capability of their enemies are not surprising. The retreat to comfortable nonchalance and credulousness…is predictable given unchanging human nature, despite the pretensions of a postmodern technologically advanced global village.”
—Victor Davis Hanson, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation
