By Agha Iqrar Haroon
Time has once again proven that there is only one practical and effective global alliance on the diplomatic horizon, and that is NATO. Germany and the United Kingdom have joined hands with the United States and Israel in their joint attack on Iran.
They have once again demonstrated that they are not feckless friends; they remain available whenever and wherever they are needed by their allies. In contrast, most other diplomatic alliances are nothing more than platforms for holding diplomatic events.
Whatever the reasons—religious alignments, mutual interests, economic collaborations, or even the shadows of Epstein nights and files, these actors come together to destroy whatever they choose. Moreover, they openly oppose global multipolarity and seek to purge this concept with full force. They would not even hesitate to employ atomic power, if necessary, to signal to the world that it is not multipolar.
I consider the global events of the first quarter of 2026—such as the continued genocide in Gaza, the abduction of President Maduro, attacks on Iran, further sanctions on Russia and Iran, and the direct involvement of the UK and Germany in US-Israeli attacks on Middle Eastern countries—as a veto against multipolarity rhetoric. While this rhetoric sounds appealing in books and speeches and is desired by global populations, it simply does not exist in practice.
As a student of political philosophy, I am interested in exploring what classical philosophers and Greek poets tell us about feckless friends. Among them, Homer—a Greek poet whom I also regard as a philosopher—has always inspired me when I seek guidance. His words are eternal and as applicable today as they were over 3,000 years ago.
Homer’s reflections on feckless friends (unreliable or useless allies) played a significant role in shaping Greek political thought. His stance on such relationships is categorical. He famously observes:
“Bad friends are like shadows: when the sun shines, they stay close, but in times of darkness, they disappear.”
This idea reflects classical Greek moral philosophy and is derived from themes in The Iliad and The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Homer repeatedly emphasizes that true friendship is tested in hardship, not comfort. A widely accepted scholarly paraphrase of his thought is:
“A friend is known in adversity.”
A closely related conceptual translation from The Odyssey (Book 17) states:
“For a man scarcely finds a loyal companion once evil days come upon him.”
In simple terms, Homer criticized relationships built on unreliable friendships that fail in times of adversity.
I also consider Aristotle the architect of modern political philosophy. His views on feckless friends are equally explicit. In Nicomachean Ethics (Book VIII), he states:
“Those who love for the sake of utility love not for the sake of the person loved, but for what is good for themselves.”
Such friendships disappear when circumstances change—a classic description of feckless alliances.
He further notes:
“In poverty and other misfortunes, men think friends the only refuge; yet such friendships are easily dissolved.” (Book VIII, paraphrased)
And finally:
“The friendship of base people turns out badly, for they are unstable.” (Book VIII)
