It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it; nay, absolute monarchs [and presidents with control of both houses of congress] will often make war when their nations are to get nothing by it, but for the purposes and objects merely personal, such as thirst for military glory, revenge for personal affronts, ambition, or private compacts to aggrandize or support their particular families or partisans. These and a variety of other motives, which affect only the mind of the sovereign, often lead him to engage in wars not sanctified by justice or the voice and interests of his people.
The Federalist Papers: No. 4, John Jay (November 7, 1787)
Found as part of an essay on the draft by Glenn Greenwald.
Incredible. I actually got all the way to the end before I realized the passage was NOT modern.
Ditto what Jill said….
Are you sure it wasn’t Nostradamas who said it?