In search of the modern day Pyrrhic victories

I love history. There's much to be gained by studying the feats and failures of past generations. And I've learned that history gets better, or perhaps more exaggerated, with age. Most of my studies center around the Classical eras of Greece and Rome and I'm currently reading something about the Republican era of Rome. There is much from this era that can be applied to the USA but I want to focus this entry on one statement made by one man, King Pyrrhus.

The scene is set during the mid-Republic in southern Italy. Rome is expanding and assimilating land once occupied by Greeks, Latins, and Etruscans. Southern Italy has been Greek owned and they are trying to hold their land. King Pyrrhus is in charge of repelling the Roman onslaught and, to the casual observer he appeared to be doing so. Even though he was technically winning battles he was losing the war. After one such victory he stated that "one more such victory would utterly undo him". Historians remember this statement and situation as a "Pyrrhic Victory" or a victory that ultimately will do more harm than good.

Let's step back into the present day and attempt to apply this term to what we are currently seeing around us. Are we able to see actions and policies that seem like victories but that will ultimately lead to defeat? Do we see people that create victories for themselves that ultimately unravel the bigger whole?

Here are a few things that I could think of....

• Wall Street- We are flooded with examples from Wall Street illustrating actions that benefited a select few while pillaging the general public. Bernie Madoff may have had a few years of astronomical profit for himself but he ultimately destroyed the wealth of everyone around him, causing far more harm then any good or earnings he ever created. Self interest is an important component of a free market but Wall Street has been courting the far more dangerous greed to horrible results. My recent entry regarding Goldman Sachs discusses the overwhelming tendency of these financial firms to act in a manner that brings themselves incredible earnings at the expense of the greater economy.
• Politics- Government has been transformed into an ATM machine for special interests. Lobbyists and Pork Barrel projects are classic examples of political actions stepping into "Pyrrhic" territory. These politicians are focused on their individual parts or interests to the degree that the whole is less then the sum of its parts. There is a definite get in, get mine, and get out attitude in DC. Take the time to track government spending back to its roots and you can see the greedy dance that takes place between Congress and the special interests that buy their votes. This blog is one among many that highlights some of the most egregious examples.
  
• Sports- Baseball has done a superb job of providing exhibit #1 for "Pyrrhic" victories. Steroids gave great numbers and a temporary boost in excitement for the sport but once the syringe hit the fan the sport has become illegitimate and runs the risk of permanently loosing its status as our preferred pastime. Performance enhancing drugs do a great job of providing short term gains at the expense of long term health and viability.
  

Unfortunately we see hundreds of examples in present day society where we are sacrificing our long term health for short term gain. Any time that someone artificially inflates profits in order to get a bigger bonus they are jeopardizing the bigger picture. For each congressman who takes a kickback in exchange for a key vote they are just kicking the crap out of the morals that built this country. Every time we let greed, self interest, or selfishness determine our actions we tear apart the fabric that serves as the binding force that keeps our communities healthy and functioning. Remember that the whole should be greater then the sum of its parts....sometimes we need remind ourselves and our actions of that truth.