[IP] a piece very worth reading till the end SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
_The other means by which long terms of peace – or, more accurately, non-war – have been achieved is the unequivocal domination by a single ruthless power. The best example of this is, of course, the Pax Romana, a “world” peace which lasted from about 27 BCE until 180 AD. I grant that the Romans were not the most benign of rulers. They crucified dissidents for decoration, fed lesser humans to their pets, and generally scared the bejesus out of everyone, including Jesus Himself. But war, of the sort that racked the Greeks, Persians, Babylonians, and indeed, just about everyone prior to Julius Caesar, did not occur. The Romans had decided it was bad for business. They were in a military position to make that opinion stick._
Interesting people get interesting mail: browsing the archives will have to suffice for me. Read this all the way through. It *will* be on the exam.