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VIEWPOINT - I have often viewed the past as a kind of laboratory—one where we can identify patterns, anticipate changes, and prepare ourselves to make wiser choices. After US forces captured Nicolás Maduro and President Trump warned Cuba and Colombia, a historical event that appropriately reflects today's political realism came to mind.
Although our primary focus in this space is analyzing the Los Angeles scene, we recognize that we are a significant component of a broader context, and it is essential to consider factors that have a direct impact on us. My interest in probing historical events was cultivated during my early education in Greece and has continued throughout my involvement in American politics.
Thucydides, the Greek historian, made some observations nearly 2,500 years ago that remain especially pertinent today, reflecting on potential long-term risks associated with exercising absolute authority. Those observations carry a significant meaning for us today as the US focuses on Latin America.
Thucydides spoke of Athens, a superpower, at a time when it insisted that the small island of Melos surrender. But the island refused. Democratic Athenians dismissed appeals to justice, declaring, "The strong do what they can, while the weak endure what they must."
Athens did not like the political neutrality of the island, considering it unacceptable and strategically disadvantageous. It was the only island in the Aegean not under the control of Athens. The brutal attack that followed reveals how empires rationalize coercion and how they can be driven by internal logic that may eventually lead to self-destructive choices.
Greed, the insatiable desire for more, led Athens to believe that its power made it invincible, and after its success at Melos it launched a subsequent disastrous Sicilian expedition. Today, after Venezuela, Trump has publicly threatened or hinted at possible action toward a cluster of other countries.
The case of Melos is a diagnostic window, an example of imperial overreach, a warning about ethics and power. It was also a moment when an empire’s cracks became visible. It was power dynamics over moral arguments.
The Melos example indicates that if a superpower handles every regional dispute militarily, it may overextend itself and lose credibility, causing even allies or neutrals to appear hostile.
Like many ancient empires, Athens often broke treaties or ignored established norms when they thought it was strategically necessary. In an analogous way, Trump’s actions demonstrated minimal regard for international law or sovereignty norms. Recognized standards are disregarded. Unfortunately, the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, apparently forgot his high school history lessons. He was quoted in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini "Not the time to comment on the legality of the recent actions". And he is the leader of a nation which gave us the principles of justice and democracy!
Athens punished Melos and by so doing signaled a warning to others. Similarly, the Venezuela intervention conveyed US determination to China, Russia, and Iran.
I believe that historical events often gain new dimensions of meaning when analyzed alongside contemporary developments. In antiquity, major powers frequently established cooperative governments or puppet regimes following intervention, ensuring compliance with their interests. It was a straightforward methodology: intervene, depose the existing leadership, and oversee the transition process. In today’s case, Trump stated his intent to “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be achieved—a strategy structurally analogous to classical Greek hegemonic practices of intervention, regime change, and transition management.
With pride, the president rebranded and expanded the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, a policy warning European powers not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere. Trump introduced his "Don-roe Doctrine," claiming US control over the hemisphere and vowing to block adversaries, competitors, or rivals from operating there. The State Department reinforced this stance with the statement: "This is OUR Hemisphere."
This belief—that the US has special prerogatives in the Western Hemisphere—parallels the mindset of the Greek hegemons, leaders who exert dominant political, economic, or cultural influence over others.
However, keep one thing in mind. History shows that lasting power depends on legitimacy, not just military strength. Allies eventually stop supporting, and rule by force leads to opposition. If the US treats Latin American countries as dependencies instead of partners, it risks losing influence in the region even if it achieves specific objectives, like capturing Maduro.
What I recite here is the core of Thucydides’ theory which is found in the Melian Dialogue, and it is edifying to the point of being frightening. For example, Athens was once celebrated for democracy and culture but later prioritized naked power over its founding ideals. When these ideals were abandoned, the downward slope of its arc began. Today many scholars, watchdog groups, and journalists argue that the US is experiencing democratic backsliding, pointing to measurable declines in institutional independence, free speech protections, and rule‑of‑law norms.
Like the US, Athens also became an extractive empire, seeking to extract gold, silver, copper, and other minerals, or controlling areas that could produce them from the earth. Today the president has explicitly linked US actions to securing oil and critical minerals, and in some cases has used unusually direct or forceful language about obtaining them, focusing on oil reserves that belong to others, and in threatening annexation of Greenland.
Today’s patterns of empire building emphasize the importance of reflecting on historical outcomes when shaping such policies. As Thucydides warned, restraint and adherence to foundational ideals impress allies and preserve long-term power, while overreach and the abandonment of principles can lead to decline.
Gen. Collin Powell, secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had a Thucydides maxim on his desk: “Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most.”
(Nick Patsaouras is an electrical engineer and civic leader whose firm has shaped projects across residential, commercial, medical, educational, institutional, and entertainment sectors. A longtime public advocate, he ran for Mayor in 1993 with a focus on rebuilding L.A. through transportation after the 1992 civil unrest. He has served on major public boards, including the Department of Water and Power, Metro, and the Board of Zoning Appeals, helping guide infrastructure and planning policy in Los Angeles. He is the author of the book "The Making of Modern Los Angeles.")
