3 ms·

> gain prestige without going to war. Has war ever been about prestige ?

haimez 4y ago
No, it hasn’t- the Olympics have never been a substitute for war. They have however been a great way for peaceful nations to promote themselves economically for tourism during and after the event- although not for a while with the IOCC and Olympic hosting becoming a massive opportunity for corrupt boondoggles. Even so, host country aside, the international event has created the opportunity to raise awareness and create good will towards nations that otherwise wouldn’t have any similar opportunity- the Jamaican bobsled team comes to mind.
- deleted 4y ago
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labster 4y ago
The Crusades seem an obvious example. Why endeavor to conquer coastal desert a thousand kilometers from your kingdom instead of your neighbor’s farmland and mines. The Trojan war was about a single woman and her prestige. And WWII had fascist ideologies that were centered on proving to the world how great they were, and the proved more important than the economic motives in actually starting the war.
- makeitdouble 4y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades > The first Crusaders had a variety of motivations, including religious salvation, satisfying feudal obligations, opportunities for renown, and economic or political advantage. "prestige" could be close to "renown", but it comes from a different place (renown brings direct advantages, including nobility attribution for instance), and you'll note economic and political advantage are set as anchors of this list. The reality of it is about conquering territory under a pretense that won't raise hostility among your neighbors (who can even participate in the expeditions under the same religious flag) > Trojan war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War > Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. > WWII > proved more important than the economic motives Could I ask for more details on your understanding of it as "proved" ?

No, it hasn’t- the Olympics have never been a substitute for war. They have however been a great way for peaceful nations to promote themselves economically for tourism during and after the event- although not for a while with the IOCC and Olympic hosting becoming a massive opportunity for corrupt boondoggles. Even so, host country aside, the international event has created the opportunity to raise awareness and create good will towards nations that otherwise wouldn’t have any similar opportunity- the Jamaican bobsled team comes to mind.

deleted 4y ago
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labster 4y ago

The Crusades seem an obvious example. Why endeavor to conquer coastal desert a thousand kilometers from your kingdom instead of your neighbor’s farmland and mines. The Trojan war was about a single woman and her prestige. And WWII had fascist ideologies that were centered on proving to the world how great they were, and the proved more important than the economic motives in actually starting the war.

makeitdouble 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades > The first Crusaders had a variety of motivations, including religious salvation, satisfying feudal obligations, opportunities for renown, and economic or political advantage. "prestige" could be close to "renown", but it comes from a different place (renown brings direct advantages, including nobility attribution for instance), and you'll note economic and political advantage are set as anchors of this list. The reality of it is about conquering territory under a pretense that won't raise hostility among your neighbors (who can even participate in the expeditions under the same religious flag) > Trojan war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War > Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. > WWII > proved more important than the economic motives Could I ask for more details on your understanding of it as "proved" ?