I wanted to draw a connection between The drought/famine/plague in Thucydides time and Hurricane Irma, in which we are currently battling as we speak. Many sources have identified this horrible issue as getting worse. The water is very unsanitary and people are getting very sick due to the bacteria. Also, another huge issue is the famine, many people can't travel to get the food or medical supplies they need to survive. Many people are dying due to both of these issues which leads me to the connection of the drought/plague/famine of the Thucydides error. In the book, it says that "men lay half-dead with thirst" (Thucydides, 49) this is a current issue we are dealing with right now with this hurricane flood. It also states that it was, "too severe for human nature: the disease was more severe than a normal human disease. Some Athenians must have seen the plague as sent by the gods, perhaps as retribution for Athenian imperial policy." (Thucydides, 48) We can argue that with how severe this hurricane is that this too is "too severe for human nature." Another point I want to make that ties in with this topic is that the Athenians thought this was sent by the gods. Recently many people have been arguing that this hurricane was sent by God as a test. Others argue that this is the end of the world as we know it. My personal take on this, I don't buy it. I believe these things just happen. However, I do believe everything happens for a reason, Saying that, I've been debating what that reason could be.
I wanted to address a specific quote I found within the Speech of the Corinthians. The quote states, "Complaints are for friends who make mistakes, accusations for enemies who commit injustice. Besides, we think we are in as good position as anyone to find fault with our neighbors, especially in view of the great differences between the two sides, to which we think you are blind." (Thucydides, 19)
With this being said I want to tie in both my personal opinions and experiences. I agree with some parts of this while I disagree with other parts. When it's stated that "complaints are for friends who make mistakes" I personally agree to a certain extent. I feel that if we compare this to our own lives we have all had friendships with people who might have made many mistakes. I feel that we have the right to express our complaints in order to maintain a healthy friendship. The main reason is that these complaints can certainly serve as safety concerns for both you and your friend. The second part in which the quote states, "accusations for enemies who commit injustice." Personally I feel that many people do automatically claim their enemies to be in the wrong and don't hear them out. Is this fair or unfair, remembering that our enemies have been unjust towards us? The Last part of the quote is stated as followed, "Besides, we think we are in as good position as anyone to find fault with our neighbors, especially in view of the great differences between the two sides, to which we think you are blind." Speaking on this note I believe that everyone is in good position to find fault with their neighbors as long as they are being logic, fair and just while doing so. If your only goal is to find fault in everything, nothing will go over smoothly. This speech was filled with many logical reasoning in which I personally agreed with. I also caught onto a theme that played into the ignorance of foreign affairs. We could make the argument that Trumps Administration can be linked with the beliefs of Thucydides. |
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