Why Do Countries Attempt Suicide?

 Recently I had another look at Barbara Tuchman's "March of Folly."  It was interesting, but the book was written a few decades ago and needs a Rev. 2.0 update.  The update should be called "The March of Suicide."

'Folly' is just too mild a word for what is happening these days.  Never before in my lifetime have I seen several important countries attempting suicide, at the same time.  There have been some remarkable examples of attempted and successful suicide in the past:

1. Jewish stubbornness and provocation of the Roman Empire, ending in the destruction of Jerusalem.

2. The refusal to surrender by some cities in central Asia after getting an ultimatum from Genghis Khan.

3. Napoleon's unnecessary invasion of Russia in 1812.

4. Britain's unnecessary involvement in World War I.

5. The Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

6. The Ukrainian people allowing "their" (post-elected-term) government to continue a lost war against Russia, with depopulation staring them in the face. 

7. Total passivity in the Republican Congress, as "their" president leads the party off the cliff.

I'm sure there are more examples of attempted suicide, but these get the picture across.  That brings us to today.  Europe is probably the best example of attempted suicide -- economic suicide in their case.  They willingly threw away the great advantage of cheap Russian energy.

And it almost seems like Israel and Saudi Arabia are attempting suicide, as well.

What about the good ol' USA?  Are the American people going to complacently accept the destruction of their economy at the hands of one man?  Or will they rise up at the upcoming election and make their wishes known?  Will they pull back from the movie/TV show meme of a crazy guy at a window ledge of a tall building?