(For all the dog lovers- General George S. Patton’s dog, Willie, was an English Bull Terrier. The white Bull Terrier was acquired in England in 1944, having previously belonged to a fallen RAF pilot. Willie was famously inseparable from Patton, traveling with him through Europe during World War II. )
While the film is famous for its thunderous opening speech in front of the giant American flag, the ending is its quiet, philosophical bookend.
"For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph—a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters, musicians, and strange animals from the conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments.
The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."
The actual Roman tradition of the Memento Mori (remember that you must die), where a slave would reportedly whisper, "Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento!" ("Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man!"). reminding that while power and glory are potent, they are also fleeting and fragile when not handled with humility.
As a retired teacher and historian I have spent my life weighing the impact of words. I know that a single "guffaw"—a careless remark or a misplaced idiom—can sometimes echo louder than a thousand pieces of legislation. The idea that the very traits required to win a war (or an election) are often the same traits that make a leader untenable during the peace that follows.
The film about George S Patton- just like in the life style of the "Billionaire President"- begins with the creation of a legend (the polished medals, the pearl-handled revolvers, the giant flag) with President Trump it was the "Make America Great Again" hat.
Due to his self-pride it ends with the deconstruction of that legend.
For just like Patton in that Sicilian hospital, who thought his brilliance excused his brutality, we see a leader who may believe his past successes for Israel and the American economy excuse his current dismissiveness toward our allies. But as Eisenhower knew, and as we are learning again, no man is so great that he can afford to alienate the very people standing in the foxhole next to him.
By the end, the transience of "Glory" has lost him many who followed him just like those who were ironically subordinate to him (Bradley and Eisenhower). Who removed him from his generalship after the incident in Sicily and left him a man without a war.
But his recent comments at Davos regarding NATO and the sacrifices in Afghanistan have left me with a heavy heart.
To hear the service of allied soldiers—many of whom bled alongside Americans for twenty years—dismissed as "staying in the back" felt like a betrayal of the very military honor he usually champions.
Today, I feel like that whisperer in the chariot. "All glory is fleeting."
In the film, Patton’s "guffaws"—his slapping of a soldier or his undiplomatic comments about the British and Russians—were what ultimately led to his downfall. He was a brilliant strategist and a necessary force, but he often became his own worst enemy through his tongue.
It is possible to support a leader's actions while being deeply disappointed in their rhetoric.
I feel genuine disappointment when the President belittles the "triumphal procession" of the 457 British souls or the dozens of Danes and Canadians lost in Afghanistan, he doesn't just "tell it like it is"—he chips away at the foundation of the alliances that protect us all.
For those of us in Israel, NATO is not just a "financial burden"; it is a symbol of the collective Western resolve that keeps the world from descending into chaos.
President Trump should heed what happened to Patton. For as is relayed in the film, Patton’s greatest enemy wasn't Rommel; it was his own tongue. His inability to temper his brilliance with humility eventually isolated him.
My final thoughts are that I still believe in the necessity of a strong America and as an Israeli I most assuredly appreciate his robust support for Israeli security and stalwart assistance in achieving the release of our hostages.
I still believe in the policies of the the Abraham Accords, that have brought us closer to peace in the Middle East than we have been in decades. But I am highly disappointed by the inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in the "Board of Peace" initiatives.
But as I watch the fallout from Davos, I am reminded that leadership requires more than just the "opening speech" of strength. It requires the wisdom of the "closing remarks"—the recognition that our allies are not "dazed prisoners" in our procession, but brothers-in-arms.
Even for the most powerful among us, glory is indeed fleeting. It is the respect we show to those who stood with us in the mud that truly endures.
No comments:
Post a Comment