To the editor:

As we endure the endless nonsense of the politics of the day, and wish for some spark of truth and decency to prevail, I wish to remind us all of the eloquence of a 5th century historian who wrote about his disgust with the politicians who tried to change the arguments for and against war with Sparta with words that had no meaning.

We see that today when we listen to speeches that turn facts upside down and counter arguments with hate and personal attacks.

Here is what, in parts, is what Thucydides said:

“….To fit in with the change of events, words, too, had to change their usual meanings. What used to be described as a thoughtless act of aggression was now regarded as the courage one would expect to find in a party member: to think of the future and wait was merely another way of saying one was a coward: any ideal of moderation was just an attempt to disguise one’s unmanly character; to understand a question from all sides meant that one was totally unfitted for action.

“Fanatical enthusiasm was the mark of a real man, not to plot against an enemy behind his back was perfectly legitimate self-defense. Anyone who held violent opinions could always be trusted, and anyone who objected to them became a suspect. … As a result … there was a general deterioration of character throughout the Greek world. The plain way of looking at things, which is so much the mark of a noble nature, was regarded as a ridiculous quality and soon ceased to exist. Society became divided into camps in which no man trusted his fellow.”

Sound familiar?

Nesta Morrison,
Brunswick

letters@timesrecord.com