History leaves warnings everywhere. Most people just scroll past them. For centuries philosophers, historians and leaders have all pointed to the same uncomfortable truth: Power often survives by manipulating perception. When people begin questioning authority… conflict suddenly appears. When citizens start demanding change… a foreign enemy is discovered. When leaders need loyalty… they offer symbols, flags and ribbons for people to fight and die over. And when the masses hesitate… they are reminded that their interests and the interests of those in power are supposedly the same. But history shows something different. Those who start wars rarely fight them. Those who profit from wars rarely die in them. The ones who pay the price are always the same: Ordinary people. This is why understanding history matters. Because once you recognise the patterns… you start seeing them everywhere. History doesn’t repeat itself by accident. It repeats itself because people stop paying at...