Force is seductive because it emanates a certain glamour, whether that glamour is manifested in the guise of false patriotism, prestige, or dominance; conversely, true power is often quite unglamorous. What could be more glamorous than the Luftwaffe and the Waffen SS of Nazi Germany during the Second World War? These elite branches embodied romance, privilege, and style, and certainly had enormous force at their disposal—including the most advanced weapons of the day and an esprit de corps that cemented their might. Such is the glamour of the formidable. The weak are attracted to and will even
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