Rome & Usa

[Sextus Roscius]

As for the idea that America may fall due to social and sexual permissiveness, I'm more worried about going the other way. That too many Censors want to turn us into somethg more like Oliver Cromwell's Puritan Theocracy. That is a greater danger than what people do behind closed doors. ANd as for Englishmen liking to party...did you ever try and get home on the London Tube late on Guy Fawkes Day? Oy!All thats missing is the wolf teeth and woad!

 

I'm sorry to say, but you must be living in a ulturnate reality to be able to say "what people do behind closed doors" It is no longer such in America, sexuality is massivly common place. I fear that our society will collapse because of it. We are breeding races of ignorant, arrogant, microteens... I'm not joking. My 6 year old sister goes around acting like she is 14, singing and listening to rap, and not to mention has already cursed. And it isn't just my sister, you can see it all the time. Its a horrible debasement to the United States.

 

This is why radical Muslims hate us (some, but all mind you) becuase of the "obvious evils" of American soceity. Number one on the list is the amount of sexuality present, constantly.

 

Roman culture was somewhat related to the United States in this sense but they didn't go around advertising themselves in the most revealing, yet legal, clothing possible. In America, many of our younger citizens (modern day teenagers in particualar) have chosen to use the quit part of ettiquit and is a large disgrace. Roman culture was much more moderated by social standards and If you were to go around as what some of the America citizens look like...then you would be shunned and most likely beat up or something.

 

But the Idea of our world now becoming a puritan Theocracy is interesting, but aren't all the western countries governed by christians anyways. Personaly I think some of America's Political leaders make to many descisions based of religion, though most aren't likely to admit it. But as far as the world become a Oliver Cromwell style world....hard to see.

[Primus Pilus]

Actually, most Europeans think we Americans are quite prudish. Just ask our Austrian friend Viggen

[Ursus]

I'll be honest, I don't really like these threads. They stray rather far from anything related to Rome, and become a dissertation on American politics and culture. Liberals and conservatives, secular and religious start to critique each other, and then of course our European and Oceanic friends are just more than happy to tell us what we should do with ourselves.

 

Let's try to keep things as related to Rome as possible. Please.

[Plautus]

Teractum Est! Is that how they said it in the arena?. This would be a tough thread to do without turning into a forum on modern society. I agree, let's stay in Rome and keep it light. Was it Seneca who said " To mock philosophy is to be called a true philosopher"?

[Favonius Cornelius]

As for the idea that America may fall due to social and sexual permissiveness, I'm more worried about going the other way. That too many Censors want to turn us into somethg more like Oliver Cromwell's Puritan Theocracy. That is a greater danger than what people do behind closed doors. ANd as for Englishmen liking to party...did you ever try and get home on the London Tube late on Guy Fawkes Day? Oy!All thats missing is the wolf teeth and woad!

 

I'm sorry to say, but you must be living in a ulturnate reality to be able to say "what people do behind closed doors" It is no longer such in America, sexuality is massivly common place. I fear that our society will collapse because of it. We are breeding races of ignorant, arrogant, microteens... I'm not joking. My 6 year old sister goes around acting like she is 14, singing and listening to rap, and not to mention has already cursed. And it isn't just my sister, you can see it all the time. Its a horrible debasement to the United States.

 

If you honestly think this, then I guess the Greek civilization was tantamount failure in your eyes. A difficult thing to say of course seeing as how most modern philosophy and science we owe in a massive way to the sexually free Greeks.

[Sextus Roscius]

I apologize deeply for starting something.. I'll try to keep it more about Rome next time. And as for Favonius's remark I'll just keep my scilence as I should have before.

 

My apologies, good night.

[Moonlapse]

I love you people.

[Pertinax]

I think discussing Rome and trying to be as objective as possible makes us all think hard about our present day circumstances-perhaps the topic should be in the lounge area.

[Ursus]

We had a similar thread a while ago, and the lounge is exactly where it ended up. I was hoping if everyone stuck to Rome we could avoid that.

[Anthonius]

Similarities do exist. The political system, the way they wage war (i do think that).

 

But i don't think that USA can be compared to The Roman Empire.

And neither of them are "evil empires"..

 

Still, i look on USA as an Empire. They are the only superpower in the world.

I said earlier that i think the way of waging war is quite similar,

but starting a war is a very different prosess.

Roman wars was just a result from ambitions, ambitions and yet ambitions.

The wars of the USA is a result from almost endless patriotism, and incrisingly larger paranoia.

(Acutally, i do think the Americans have good reason for it too..)

 

 

EDIT:

 

Oh, i'm sorry. If you think this has little to do with the Roman Empire i shouldn't post.

I'm not as good reading posts before i post myself as i should have been..

[Favonius Cornelius]

The wars of the USA is a result from almost endless patriotism, and incrisingly larger paranoia.

(Acutally, i do think the Americans have good reason for it too..)

 

And the aquisition of resource. Like it or not it is a fundamental part of the picture.

[Primus Pilus]

We're just giving him guidance... not ready made answers that he can cut & paste.

[phil25]

I think there are parallels between Rome and the modern western world (wider than the USA). None of them are particularly encouraging as I think they equate to reasons why the Roman empire fell. A few:

 

* the bread and circuses culture (the average man is more concerned with his pleasures TV, sport etc, than he is with issues and politics;

* immigration to fill posts that nationals will not fill (so that we are increasingly dependent upon non-native labour)

* a degeneration in art and literature

* a lack of decisiveness in political terms

* a tendency to look back not forwards

* the failure and decline of traditional religeon and its replacement by alternatives

* a lack of confidence in many areas (introversion over things like the environment, climate change, conservation)

* fragmentation internationally

* a cessation of expansion - a withdrawl of outward growth

* a loss of assurance in aims, goals and assertiveness

* relatively weak, scandal prone rulers (compare C19th or midC20th US Presidents and British Prime Ministers with todays crop)

* plague (AIDS, bird flu...)

* the decline of aristocracy and the rise of the new man

 

That should be enough examples to encourage discussion, I think....

 

Phil

[M. Porcius Cato]

And aqueducts--we have lots of aqueducts.

[Virgil61]

I'll be honest, I don't really like these threads. They stray rather far from anything related to Rome, and become a dissertation on American politics and culture. Liberals and conservatives, secular and religious start to critique each other, and then of course our European and Oceanic friends are just more than happy to tell us what we should do with ourselves.

 

Right on the mark. My only comment is what an officer I worked with in Iraq used to say; "Don't hate the player, hate the game". Too much player hating going on vis-a-vis the U.S. I think.

 

On this particular subject I'll just say that while pointing out parallels between the U.S. and Rome can be fun, it's also an intellectually lazy way to interprete history. It doesn't take much analysis to draw parallels and everyone walks away feeling clever about themselves. The truth is one can draw 'parallels' between the U.S. and over a dozen other states in history.