Realpolitik (part I)

Stranger, go tell the Spartans that here we lie, obeying their Law


When I was about 12 years old, I read about King Leonidas, the 300 and Thermopylae.
I was amazed by that act of Self-Sacrifice.

To make a stand, against your interests but for your Ideas.

To obey the Law to Death, that is the extreme limit of Man, Citizen, Warrior.
This seems to me the ultimate contribution of Ancient Greece to World's Civilization,
the defining moment of Law, the State of Justice, Principle over Self.


Ever since, there is one picture that haunts me: the Persian spy returns to the Great King and informs him that the Spartans are there, getting ready to die, by preparing themselves, putting on their finest clothes, calmly brushing their long hair, waiting.

What a scene! Brushing each other’s long hair, calmly waiting to die…

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Then came Philip.

To keep myself sane during the last year of high school and the intense studying for the University-entering exams, I studied about Philip, King of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great.

And there it was: "Philip was a genious. He knew when to fight but most importantly, when to retreat, avoiding conflicts that he could not win..."

What? Whaaat? Avoid battle, retreat? "Keeping it low?"

What about fighting? Heroism, Sacrifice?

This way, a hot summer evening, Realistic Politics stormed into my Life!