This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.

Notes From the Field By James Hickman / Simon Black   August 5, 2024

Athenian general Miltiades was already a hero across ancient Greece when he set sail for the island of Paros in 489 BC.

Born into stardom as the son and nephew of famous Olympic champions, Miltiades made a name for himself as one of the most important and successful commanders in the Greek war against Persia.

In fact, Miltiades was responsible for devising the incredibly unique, surprise battle plan that confounded the Persian army at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The Greeks were vastly outnumbered and outmatched... but they annihilated the Persians thanks to Miltiades’ tactical genius, making him an instant celebrity-hero throughout the region.

So, when he approached the Athenian government the following year and requested to lead a special mission to reclaim lost Greek territory in the Aegean Sea, they approved his mission without question. And the Hero of Marathon set sail a few months later with a fleet of 70 ships.

Unfortunately for Miltiades, his voyage was a total disaster; his fleet was nearly vanquished, he lost a great number of men, and he was unable to take the island of Paros. So, when he returned to Athens, all of his former heroics were forgotten… and people wanted his head. Literally.

It was commonplace in ancient Greece for politicians and military leaders to be held accountable for their decisions; many were even put on trial at the end of their rule and had their administrations publicly scrutinized.

These weren’t political witch hunts; rather, they were a form of checks-and-balances whereby anyone found to have been truly incompetent, disloyal, or duplicitous would be severely punished.

Miltiades-- again, the Hero of Marathon-- was charged with treason for causing such severe and embarrassing losses in his ill-fated Paros expedition. He was tried, convicted, and ultimately sentenced to death… however this was eventually reduced to a fine of 50 talents (roughly $10 million in today’s money) and a lengthy prison sentence.

Sometimes I feel like the Greeks were really on to something.

Sure, the world is complicated, and there’s never any guarantee of success in warfare, business, life, politics, etc. Decision makers don’t have a crystal ball and rarely have perfect information… so there can never be any certainty about future outcomes.

But leaders have a moral and legal obligation to always do their best… and to make rational decisions and take sensible risks. Most importantly, whenever there’s new information, they have an obligation to challenge their own decisions and adjust course if necessary.

Failure to do so is arrogant, deliberate incompetence.

We saw this all throughout the pandemic; at first, there was very little information available, and politicians’ knee-jerk reaction was to enact the most extreme measures.

But six-months later there was plenty of data. And politicians had plenty of opportunity to review the updated information, summon their courage, and make better, more rational decisions.

Some places (Florida) did. Others (New York, California) stuck to their failed, idiotic, destructive policies. They kept people locked down, they kept the schools closed, and they exacted an incalculable toll on their citizens.

But they will never be held accountable for their incompetence. Instead, they end up on lucrative speaking tours, awarded highly paid consulting or board positions, or advanced outrageous sums for their memoirs.

And this leads me to what’s happening in England right now.

As you’re probably aware, a sick-o teenager in northern England stabbed a bunch of kids last week in a horrifying rampage. Nine children were wounded, and at least three have died.

Rumors quickly circulated that the attacker was a Muslim refugee who had arrived by boat to England’s shores, and violent riots quickly broke out across the country.

The government and media were quick to correct the rumor; the 17-year-old attacker (he turns 18 on Wednesday) was born in the UK and is the son of Rwandan immigrants.

Then they further denounced the rioters as “far right” and “racist”, and the Prime Minister threatened to use the full force of the law against them.

Look, it’s completely inexcusable for rioters to engage in violence and destruction of property. But it’s also inexcusable for politicians to run their country into the ground.

The media has been quick to condemn the rioters. But they are completely silent, and frankly complicit, regarding the destruction of their country.

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