An Officers Bookshelf

<p>This text examines the historical phenomenon of political folly, defined as the pursuit of government policies that are clearly detrimental to a state's own interests. The author distinguishes this specific type of failure from mere incompetence or tyranny, noting that true folly occurs when leaders ignore viable alternatives and contemporary warnings. Through diverse examples—including Rehoboam’s loss of the ten tribes, Montezuma’s passive surrender to the Spanish, and Louis XIV’s self-defeating religious persecutions—the source illustrates how "wooden-headedness" and fixed prejudices lead to disaster. These accounts are contrasted with the rare instances of wise leadership, such as that of...