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🇮🇱 Israel /Culture & Society

Civilizations collapse from within, not from enemies at the gates - opinion

From Jerusalem Post · (5m ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Civilizations are more prone to collapse from internal failures and self-inflicted wounds than from external attacks, according to historical analysis and artistic commentary.
  • The article critiques the dominant Middle Eastern narrative of external threats, arguing that internal fractures in societies like Iran and Israel pose a greater danger.
  • It emphasizes that passivity, lack of collective courage, and the suppression of dissent or inequality can lead to a civilization's erosion, regardless of external pressures.

The Jerusalem Post presents a compelling opinion piece that challenges the prevailing narrative of external threats dominating regional discourse, particularly in the Middle East. The author, Shmuel Legesse, invokes historian Arnold J. Toynbee's assertion that civilizations 'die from suicide, not by murder,' a powerful reminder that internal decay is often the true harbinger of collapse.

civilizations most often collapse because they fail themselves.

— Shmuel LegesseIntroducing the central thesis of the article, referencing historical analysis.

This perspective is powerfully illustrated through the lens of Ethiopian artist Teddy Afro's album 'Ethiorica.' The album's message, born from Ethiopia's internal struggles, resonates with the idea that a civilization's greatest enemy can be its own inaction and internal divisions. The article contrasts this with the common framing of the Israeli-Iranian conflict, where Iran is cast as the aggressor and Israel as the defender. While acknowledging the reality of external threats, Legesse argues this view is dangerously incomplete, ignoring the internal weaknesses that plague both societies.

civilizations “die from suicide, not by murder.”

— Arnold J. ToynbeeQuoted to support the idea that internal factors cause collapse.

For Israel, the challenge is maintaining unity, equality, and shared responsibility amidst a diverse population under constant external pressure. For Iran, the risk lies in the systematic suffocation of its people and a refusal to pursue peace, which erodes its civilization from within. The article uses Teddy Afro's parable of the 12 sheep and the tiger to underscore the peril of passivity and the necessity of collective courage, echoing Edmund Burke's sentiment that evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

The dominant narrative in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Iran, is built on an external threat.

— Shmuel LegesseCritiquing the common regional framing of conflict.

This piece offers a crucial local perspective, emphasizing that the true tests for nations like Israel and Iran lie not just on the battlefield but within their own societies. The Jerusalem Post, by featuring this opinion, encourages a deeper, more introspective look at national resilience, suggesting that true strength comes from confronting internal challenges rather than solely focusing on external adversaries. The article's core message is a call for self-awareness and proactive internal reform as the ultimate defense against decline.

The greater danger for both nations is not the enemy they can see. It is the failure they refuse to confront.

— Shmuel LegesseHighlighting the internal challenges faced by Iran and Israel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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