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May 15, 2006
Toward a New Theory of American History
Some time ago I watched an interesting panel discussion regarding the roots of Mexico's resentment of the U.S., including some coverage of what part of that resentment was really legitimate and what part really speaks to a need for reflection on the part of Mexico. One of the speakers, an expert on the Mexican-American war, suggested that some of Mexican bitterness regarding the lop-sided defeat in that war is misplaced: on a fundamental level the Mexicans had all the chances we did, and were simply beaten by an army superior to their own from the highest to lowest ranks. Unsurprisingly, this quickly devolved into a discussion about culture, mis-placed incentives, etc.
Then, more recently, I read Victor Hanson's Carnage and Culture : Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power, where he essentially argues that the US military's amazing historical perfomance is simply the latest in a long tradition of Western superiority in that stangest of enterprises, war, which requires at the same time corporate dscipline and order and, for maximum effectivness, soldiers who are highly empowered killing machines ready, willing and able to show initiative at key moments.
Well, after than less than 24 hours in Williamsburg, Virginia for a conference, I have a new theory of American military dominance: we were motivated to join this Greco-Roman tradition of military excellence because the original areas of settlment, the Virginia tidewater country and the Plymouth area (which I have visited earlier), are as boring as ass, as they say. The basic idea runs like this: the early settlers realized very quickly that where they lived was so boring that the thought of living there for the rest of time led to only two possible options, mainly killing themselves or becoming effective enough killers to take some other, more exciting, place by force.
I have found absolutely nothing to do around here in the 21st century. If I had had to live here in the early 16th century, I would have either killed myself or done whatever it took to capture places like the future site of Las Vegas.
By this logic, the Mexicans started out with a crushing disadvantage: they already controlled Tijuana, and so were simply not as hungry for more exciting territory.
Posted by dag at May 15, 2006 11:05 AM