The Delian League and American Hegemony

The Hellenic League was formed to fight the agressive tyrants of the great Persian Empire. Sparta and Athens allied along with almost 200 other Greek city-states to fund a great army and navy, the Athenian navy. In the end, the Persian empire was defeated and the Hellenic League was victorious.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established to fight the communist dictators of the great Russian Empire, the Soviet Union. The United States and Europe allied with almost a hundred other countries to fund the build-up of a nuclear and conventional arsenal. This arsenal served both as a deterrant against nuclear attack and as a instrument in various proxy wars. In the end, the Soviet Union, the 'evil empire', was defeated and NATO was victorious.

With the threat of attack from Persian reduced, Sparta left the Hellenic League and Athens took over the collection of tribute money from the former Hellenic League. Renaming it the Delian League, Athens was the first among equals in this unequal alliance against the continued threat of attack from Persia, and now Sparta. Democratic Athens became very rich as their navy enforced the collection of tribute from its 'allies', interfered with their internal politics, and jockeyed for power with Sparta. The Athenians dominated the Mediterranean, and they devoted their riches to making Athens the cultural and architectural center of the Greek world.

With the threat of attack from the Soviet Union reduced, the United States of America took over much of the financing and organization of NATO and international security as the world's only superpower. With no official name for this worldwide system of army bases, spies, proxy armies, and allies purchased by economic and military aid, we should call it the American Hegemony against rogue states and terrorism. Democratic America became the very rich first country among poorer equals, basing troops in about sixty allied countries around the world and allying with repressive dictatorships. The American Hegemony's armed forces fought against terrorism and drug trading, interfered with allies' internal politics (especially in the Middle East and the Americas), and maintained its military and economic dominance over rival countries such as China and Russia. America dominated global geopolitics and trade, and they devoted their riches to making America the cultural and scientific center of the world.

Over time, the Delian League exerted more and influence on its subject states and slowly changed into the Athenian Empire. Secure in their power, the Athenians attempted a war against Sparta and Persia at the same time. This overextension of their military might proved disastrous, and they lost the First Peloponessian War and suffered the successful revolt of two important member states, Megara and Boeotia. Rebuilding their power during peace, Athens clashed again with Sparta in the second Peloponessian War. This time Athens and Sparta fought each other to a standstill, made a weary peace, and all seemed to be at an end. Then Athenian Empire once more overextended its great strength by deciding to conquer the Greek city-states on the island of Sicily. They failed utterly in this invasion, and their great army and navy was destroyed. Sparta, seeing its opportunity, then allied with Persia and eventually defeated the Athenians. The Athenian Empire was disbanded and the democracy of Athens was replaced by an Sparta-allied oligarchy.

I think you see where I am going with this. History doesn't always repeat itself, but there is a lesson to be learned here. If we are intent on making the Middle East our New Delian League, then terrorism and quagmires and lost alliances with the Europeans will be our Peloponessian Wars. And don't forget China and Russia, our Persian Empires out there in the wings, waiting to be military superpowers once again. Autocratic China, if it continues to grow, will be an economic and military superpower inside fifty years. And while I am not paranoid about China, I do think we need to be on our guard. The hubris of imperialism leads to overextension, which leads to defeat and the collapse of empire. That's what the Athenian Empire has to teach us--the flame of democracy at home is always in peril if it is replaced by imperialism abroad.

Been Tramping Around

I've been feeling the wind lately, calling to me. It's time to leave Texas again, probably for the last time. It's time to become a true tramp texan again. Anybody know anything about the Texan Club in the DC area?

Spring is a gift given only once, each time unique. As the pulse of the land quickens and the blood and flowers begin to flow again, we come into the knowing of the life of the world, and are one.

It is odd to know, somewhere deep down, that will be my last full spring in Texas. I plan to make the most of it. Barton Creek was up last week, open for kayaking, and I tell you it was glorious.

Hard not to Love Austin

The Austin Kite Festival was today, at the end of a divine spring weekend with strong winds, temperatures in the upper 70s, and blue, blue skies. The nation's longest-running kite festival is held in Zilker Park, a mile from my front door. I'd like to tell you that I spent all day watching the kite contests and ducking as kids and adults tangled their kites in practically everything over 3 feet tall. Well, I didn't, but I still enjoyed the day outdoors with friends and managed to show up late to take a few pictures of this year's event. Keep watching this site as I am going to go multimedia and bring you pictures of the great event, from this year and last year. It was a great Sunday.

Now, lest you random readers from other continents get any ideas, I am NOT encouraging you to move to Austin. Austin is nice, but so is Chapel Hill or San Francisco, for example. And the climate may be heavenly in the spring, but the summer is like the inside of an oven from the beginning of May to the end of October. That's six months of 90-100+ HEAT, folks--enough to send even Californians back home (though, heaven knows, not enough of them :)). So, having said that, I will say that Austin, on days like today, is hard not to love. It is a city of the young at heart.

I think everyone should be a kid all of their lives. People should be playing freeze tag and hide-and-go-seek in the parks till they get bad knees, flying kites every time the weather is nice, and jumping in the stream with all their clothes on every time they get too warm. Throwing pies should be commonplace, sand castles and forts should dot the landscape, and rope swings and deep forests should shoulder the banks of every river. When I am older and I decide to have children, it probably won't be because I feel ready--it will probably be because I have just run out of fun people to play with.

While my city isn't that place where everyone is a kid (I don't think there is any place like that--if you know of one please let me know), it is a place where behaving like a kid is okay. And that's a big reason why, today, there were more adults flying kites than kids.