Politics, in the Western tradition, following Aristotle, and St. Thomas and many others, is not merely pigs fumbling in the filth. It can only exist where there is some degree of freedom. In a continental empire like China during one of its powerful dynasties, there is no international politics: There is only the will of the Son of Heaven, apparently over the whole earth. Europe, land of many states, land of an equilibrium that comes into play against any would-be hegemon, is a place where international politics is possible. Similarly, politics can only exist where there is something short of absolute tyranny. Again, to use the Chinese example, there may be court intrigues, but the Son of Heaven is a God, and his commands are law, and there is no politics. When the Persian Emperor attacked Hellas, he confronted a political community of states, which warred on each other, but united against a common foe. And within those states, there was a political process that decided policy and raised armies and selected commanders. Even Sparta, where almost all the human beings were helots, abject slaves ruled by terrorism, there was a small core of citizens who practiced politics.

Politics is not just a category. It is part of a continuum. It is not an inherently degraded process, but rather, where it exists, it proves the existence of some scope for freedom and initiative.

So, yes, politicians spend a lot of time mucking around after power, fame, popularity, corrupt gain. Some are, some of the time, attuned to the needs of the various groups in the community, or the community as a whole, and with their sensitive political antennae, are able to choose policies that their people can handle and will pay for and kill and die for. It is interesting that the seemingly most ill-disciplined political machines, the British and American, have been so successful over time in surviving and prevailing in major wars. Big moats help, certainly. But it is not just the moats.

It is the particular type of politics that arose in both places that has allowed them, most of the time, to prevail in wars, particularly the very major ones that matter the most.