it’s in the blood. it goes back 3,000 plus years. even if the aggressor’s object of desire (one iota) is worthless, the cost paid by the aggressor will be priceless:

Greek defiance refers to a historical pattern of resistance against foreign powers and authority, famously symbolized by the “Oxi Day” of October 28, 1940, when Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas rejected an ultimatum from Italy, leading to the Greek people flooding the streets with cries of “No!”. This defiance also appears in the Greek resistance during World War II, the ancient phrase molon labe (come and take them) from King Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae, and protests during the recent financial crisis and the military junta. 

there is nothing sweeter than watching the aggressor expend precious resources knowing that their victory is pyrric.