He's talking about his enemies: "God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes." And the reason he doesn't ask God to slay his enemies for him isn't because he is merciful and hopes for reconciliation. There's no hint of that. It's so that "my people" don't forget.
Forget what? I'm not perfectly sure, but easily forgotten things in time of peace are that a) you had and have enemies and b) God delivered you. Having weeping scattered enemies around might help remind people. Or not, if the enemies were thoroughly beaten enough.
Jesus warned that there would be wars and rumors of war, and also that there'd always be poor with us. Wars too, it looks like.
Maybe, in the background, the verse also recognizes that wars are rarely over forever. Sometimes the best a victory will do is kick the can down the road for a few years.
Sometimes, for instance if they're allies against a common enemy, you can get reconciliation--for a while. We have had the good fortune to live through a time when most of Western Europe was at peace, even trying to form a kind of union. But sooner or later you get a new king who doesn't know Joseph, and the interests of the nations (aka the interests of the powerful) diverge.
Sometimes the differences are irreconcilable, and you'll fight the same war again and again. Sounds futile--but there's no earthly way around it.
And victories can be odd things sometimes:
This is one of history’s delightful little jokes: about fifteen minutes before the Arab conquest, the Eastern Roman Empire had finally and utterly destroyed the power of Persia, after seven centuries of constant rivalry and war. It was really the Empire’s most magnificent single accomplishment, but no one remembers it, because the Byzantine conquest of Persia lasted for about as much time as it takes oatmeal cookies to bake. Then the Arab conquerors swept into the defenseless, demoralized, and disorganized Persian Empire and made themselves at home.
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