“"By intensity of hatred," wrote George William Russell, "nations create in themselves the characteristics they imagine in their enemies. Hence it is that all passionate conflicts result in the interchange of characteristics." The very act of entering into conflict with an antagonist establishes relations where none may have existed before. William Irwin Thompson comments on this "interchange of characteristics" following World War II: "Japan is now Los Angeles and Detroit, and Big Sur, California, is a Zen Mountain Center. Germany is now a consumer society, and we are the largest militarist state in the history of the world. We have become our enemy."" Conquerors have all through history been conquered by those they conquer. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister, proved either a shrewd student of history or a prophet when he reputedly said, "Even if we lose, we shall win, for our ideals."”
[Question: Have we become like Germany, China, and Russia rolled into one??]
------------------------------------------------/
from Walter Wink. Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination (Kindle Locations 2842-2847). Kindle Edition. (Bold emphasis added.)
Walter Wink (May 21, 1935 – May 10, 2012) was an American biblical scholar, theologian, and activist ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Wink