If Western humanism has a preeminent advocate of the ages, it is Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1456--1536). His Adagia (1515), a collection of proverbs with commentary, was the first bestseller in history. And its most popular essay is composed on the ancient aphorism dulce bellum inexpertis -- "war is sweet to the inexperienced."Crossposted from my blog, Booman Tribune, My Left Wing and Bits of News.