Now, the challenge of China is not the first time a superpower is challenged by an upcoming power. There are numerous examples. Egypt and Libya in the classical time. Persia and the Greek. The Romans and the Phoenicians and so on.

So there are many examples to learn from in this actual challenge by the Chinese to the American.

To me, the example that is closest to the current challenge is the example of Rome and Karthage.

Here we had contender (Rome) that organically happened to challenge (Karthage, Phoenicia).

Neither Rome or Karthage wanted to challenge the other, it just happened because Rome happened to grow and Karthage was in the way. So they fought. Epic fights actually as the fights of Hannibal Barca and his war elephants.

It is called “Thycudides trap”, though Thycudides was a greek writing about the Romans, so it is a little off, but never mind, it will suffice.

In the beginning Rome was the underdog. Karthage had been the ruling power for millennia, and took power for granted. They used to be merchants, and hired mercenaries to do their wars. A kind of investment strategy.

What Rome did was all a matter of grit. They build a navy, it sank. Then another navy, it sank. Then they got attacked by Hannibal, he almost sacked Rome. Then another navy. Eventually Scipio Africanus, one of the greatest war heroes of mankind reached Africa, and gave war to Karthage on their own soil.

He met Hannibal Barca at a last desperate fight. The Karthagenians being massed with numerous fighters, the Romans with their grit beat the soft Karthagenians, war elephants or no war elephants.

So what can we learn from this fight?

First of all, it is about cohesion and grit. The Romans did not win because they were the better skilled fighters. Hannibal was an illustrious leader, and an amazing strategist.

No, they won because they had the grit to go on, and on and on and on.

Imagine what will happen if mainland US will be bombed. Will the country fold?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself. What happens if the Chinese, in the course of war manage to reach the shores of the US?

In the beginning of the war between Karthage and Rome, the Karthagenians did not see this coming, but were living peacefully, just as Americans are doing now.

But this peaceful living became their doom, because they were not prepared for Scipio Africanus.

So I have been talking about this for a while, and most Americans can see the problems rising.

But do the US have the grit? And if not, how will a leader prepare his country for the long haul?

The Chinese, unaccustomed to nuclear war, are not backing down. They are carrying on stealing our production and know how. They need to reflect the fact, that what happened to Karthage was complete annihilation.

Carry on with the arrogance, and that may just happen to the Chinese, it has happened before.

I am trying to diverge the flow of events that leads to a massive war. Right now the US can still beat China relatively easy. Do that, and the Great War will be avoided. Do not do that, and imagine Chinese bombers over L.A..

War is a sickening thing, but sometimes it has to be done fast and as effective as possible.

This is, to me, one of those times. Get it over with, fast and effectively, then we can get to peace.

G-d bless the will to learn from history.