[CatoRenasci]

Money Quote:

As for Spain — and I say this with real remorse given their suffering and national catastrophe — not since Theodosius and the late Romans paid their annual bribe money to Attila have we seen such success in bullying and terrifying a Western nation. It is right off the pages of Gibbon in his discussion of how weak, wealthy, and fearful Westerners paid Goths and Huns before Adrianople and Chalons. And this is the beginning not the end of it, as we shall soon see.

Erudition bump! These Europeans blast Americans for not knowing history, but they have forgotten the lessons chronicled by their very own historians. Gibbon, indeed!

Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain

[Dark Wing]

ping

[NZerFromHK]

I suspect the most ancient historical event Europeans learn at schools is the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. I found that on average, Europeans are either not familiar in classical history, or they prefer to analyse the European post-Westphalian balance of power history (1648-1915) instead. (In other words, "Who's Cicero? I only know Metternich!") And European balance of power is one period where appeasements could work (since all players involved were secular-leaning, nominal Christian, rational monarchies) and no wonder why they take that lesson and are deluded that the lesson also applies today.