"What greatness lies in history are the mighty passions of races, of peoples, families, estates, of individuals. What they cost, rivers of blood, the burning of cities, ruins, is not too dear. And only when the barren reason overflows from the cities, like a dirty flood, with humanity, peace or the striving to fill the rabble man with the happiness of the most: comfort, pleasure, bread and beer, does an immeasurable boredom settle over the world, so that men flee from passion to other parts of the world, become criminals, commit suicide - or smash this world to ruins." — Oswald Spengler, ‘Early Days of World History’