Make quick war.
Make war pay for itself.
Establish colonies in conquered lands.
No republic should MAKE war unless it can follow these simple methods. They served Rome well for four hundred years.
Cicero liked to quote a poet about Rome’s foreign policy:
“Oderint dum metuant” (”Let them hate us as long as they fear us.”)
Self ping for later reading.
Colonize Afghanistan? For what?
Should be remembered that Machiavelli was a failed politician who spent the rest of his life trying to convince others he should be put back in charge.
Never worked.
War in the modern world does not and cannot pay for itself. The Romans paid for their’s by looting temples and selling people into slavery. Don’t think many Americans would support either. I know I wouldn’t.
The immensely greater wealth of the modern world, as opposed to the classical world, is based on a diverse thriving economy. There is simply no way to loot such an economy without destroying it, which leads us straight to the Goose and the Golden Egg.
I suspect there are very, very few Americans interested in becoming colonists in Syria, Iraq or Libya.
You are aware that the Roman colonies were very different from those of the 19th century, aren’t you?
Colonies could be used to relieve us of those who are not “Roman.”
Don’t forget how the empire fell. They allowed “foreigners” unto their ranks to fill the military coffers whose loyalties were not for the Republic. Slowly but surely, their enemies outnumbered the Roman legions they had to “buy” more foreigner armies to fight wars for them which of course, turned on them once they saw how weak they’ve become. Sounds familiar?
See my tag line.............
The Israelis could have learned something from the Romans. When Rome conquered Gaul, it did not establish an adjacent,self governing, militarized political entity of hostile Gauls. Perhaps the Israeli geniuses who established Gaza as a Palestinian entity should have read Caesar’s Commentaries.
Since it was obvious from the beginning that this would not have been tolerated by the American people or the global community, the War in Iraq was a failure waiting to happen.
The Romans were not too concerned about collateral damage or rules of engagement.
The Roman Republic also knew that some times it was necessary to appoint Dictators to bring an out of control and ineffective Government(the Political Class) under control.
The Political Class in the USA is out of control.