From Ancient Greece, Lessons On The Risk Of A Modern, Accidental War
What's the most serious threat to the U.S. — a resurgent Russia, Islamic State terrorism, a nuclear Iran? Maybe it's none of the above. It could be something called the Thucydides trap.
To consider the dangers in America's future, let's go back more than 2,000 years, to ancient Greece. Sparta was the established power, but Athens was rising fast. Sparta wanted to preserve its status, while Athens felt it should be dominant.
The result was a disastrous conflict that ravaged both sides in the The 5th century B.C. writer , a resident of Athens, summed it up this way: "It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in
