| The choice is not between an infinite amount of trivia and such knowledge as may be useful. It is very useful to know, for example, that winners in geopolitics are not necessarily winners in the competition of cultures. For example, Rome coquered the Hellenistic world, but ended up admiring and emulating the Greeks. The Jews were the least among nations, but their religion became widely admired, attracting a lot of converts in the Mediterranean, and set up the basis for mass conversions to Christianity. The Teutonic tribes overran the Western Empire, but most of them ended up speaking a dialect of Latin, adopting Christianity, and aspiring to recreate the Empire. Similarly, the Mongols conquered the Chinese Empire, turned around, and became Chinese. If we prevail, it will be primarily because of the superiority of our civilization in satisfying human aspirations, not because of force of arms. Military strength is merely a way of steering between oppression and anarchy, to create the space where society can evolve. |
