The duo analyzes Persia's historical resilience, noting that even Rome struggled to subdue the empire and eventually had to treat it as an equal. They argue Americans lack "cultural sensibility," viewing Iran through modern clichés rather than recognizing

The duo analyzes Persia's historical resilience, noting that even Rome struggled to subdue the empire and eventually had to treat it as an equal. They argue Americans lack "cultural sensibility," viewing Iran through modern clichés rather than recognizing its history of surviving imperialism. A thought experiment explores the potential for internal collapse, suggesting that both the US and Iran risk fracturing into independent, warlord-led "statelets" if central authority fails.
1700 AENEAS