Those who are deeply read, those who are informed by tragic firsthand experience and those who have existed safely thus far but still have a watchful eye on reality all seem to agree that the Boy Scout motto “Be prepared” gets it right. So does the following:
“He, therefore, who aspires to peace should prepare for war.”
—Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Institutions of the Romans, A.D. 378
That single sentence and many like it are touted frequently in self-protection circles and for just cause. But such sentences are often misinterpreted by those who fear any emphasis on martial matters.
And the sentence is often interpreted
