S8 Ep1040: (1) In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus engage in a series of debates comparing the struggles of the ancient Roman Empire to the paradigms of power and exhaustion in the 21st century. Embracing Defeat: Strategic Bribery in the MiddleW

(1) In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus engage in a series of debates comparing the struggles of the ancient Roman Empire to the paradigms of power and exhaustion in the 21st century. Embracing Defeat: Strategic Bribery in the Middle East. Addressing the conflict with Iran, Germanicus proposes "embracing defeat" as a sophisticated path to a "win-win" resolution. He likens proposed financial investments to Roman tributes paid to the Sarmatians to secure frontiers. While Gaius skeptically questions if this is merely a bribe, Germanicus maintains that "bribing to deescalate" is a pragmatic tool used by great powers to achieve stability without perpetual war. (1) 191O. NERO