Destroy Carthage!

Reading the news, some famous words often come to my mind."Carthago delenda est" (Carthage must be destroyed), the Roman statesman Cato the Elder is quoted to have said at the end of his speeches. Anyone who has a little knowledge of ancient history, will remember the great hate that existed between Rome and Carthage, which caused the Punic wars till the complete destruction of the African city. It was such a hate that could only be extinguished through the utter annihilation of the enemy. Here I am, once again, pondering about the human condition which, under certain circumstances, brings intelligent beings to abhor other beings to such an extent that only the total crushing of one or the other can put an end to the situation. As I am a firm believer in Positive Thinking, I therefore presume true the intimate goodness of human nature. But I can't deny that certain features of  mankind include desire for power which, left uncontrolled and brought to the extreme, is the ultimate cause of all problems that plague, and have always plagued, this world of ours. Craving for supremacy over another (person, possessions, entire countries) is the root of wars, of disputes, of fights, of quarrels. Wherever an understanding, a compromise cannot be found, there is hunger for control, for domination. Think about this the next time that you, too, feel the need to prove yourself right at all costs, or have the desire to see your opponent humbled. Maybe you don't want to see him or her destroyed like Carthage, but the starting feeling might be the same! Be careful, and don't forget that feelings, like thoughts, can be changed (before it's too late).