Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson and the western superiority

The historian Victor Davis Hanson explain in his book The western way of war, that the western have a particular and superior way of making war. The western way would be better because they are more free, more self-criticist and so more pragmatic. This work is very influencal in the united states : for exemple the comic and the eponymous movie 300, written by Frank Miller and Directed by Zack Snyder are very close too the explaination of Victor Davis Hanson. Frank Miller thank personnaly Hanson for the book several times.

In this book, he compares the spartan warriors of King Leonidas and the american and british soldier at our times. The french analyst Michel Drac critize this view and he think that the type of governement of the neo conservative is more influenced by the « oriental despotism » than the heroïc ethics of ancient Greek. He say that the United States are not a « modern Sparte » but a « modern Persia » and the president of the United States is an épigone of Darius. Homeove, he thinks that the thesis is not false but it doesn't describe the present reality.

Bibliography :

• Victor Davis Hanson, Le modèle occidental de la guerre, 2001
• Victor Davis Hanson, Culture et carnage, 2002
• Victor Davis Hanson, La guerre du Péloponnèse, 2008
• Michel Drac, Choc et Simulacre, 2010