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.