Pirates of the Mediterranean -- or Fall of the Roman Empire, Part II

[no_hypocrisy]

An event that was merely a footnote five years ago has now, in our post-9/11 world, assumed a fresh and ominous significance. For in the panicky aftermath of the attack, the Roman people made decisions that set them on the path to the destruction of their Constitution, their democracy and their liberty. One cannot help wondering if history is repeating itself.

Consider the parallels. The perpetrators of this spectacular assault were not in the pay of any foreign power: no nation would have dared to attack Rome so provocatively. They were, rather, the disaffected of the earth: “The ruined men of all nations,” in the words of the great 19th-century German historian Theodor Mommsen, “a piratical state with a peculiar esprit de corps.”

Like Al Qaeda, these pirates were loosely organized, but able to spread a disproportionate amount of fear among citizens who had believed themselves immune from attack.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/opinion/30harris.html?ex=1159848000&en=3da690e913a151e3&ei=5070

[bemildred]

1. Kick. Excellent.

The Bushite policies are not new, and there is little if any question as to what is going on, or as to the complicity of the (foolish) idiots in Congress.

[Totallybushed]

2. I don't think the analogy

is all that exact. For one thing, the Roman empire held until AD 1453 before its final collapse. True, it was as a dictatorship with an emperor at the head. But it wasn't at all like the United States to begin with.

For example, most of the inhabitants were not citizens, many were slaves. On campaign, Roman generals had awesome powers of life and death over their troops. Problems were going to occur anyway because communications were not nearly as effective as the ones we have today. Why do you think the Romans built all those magnificent roads?

Claiming Roman citizenship did not make the Roman safe because everyone loved them. They didn't. In fact, they were hated. Everybody knew the Romans would protect their citizens with "shock and awe". ;-)

On the other hand, the author is correct in that the rights surrendered were not recovered. The Republic did evolve rapidly into the Empire. The dictatorship was established with absolute powers. There were, however, ways to get rid of the dictator, if not the dictatorship, when it became too bad. Assassination and rebellion occurred frequently. Wonder how that will play out with nuclear weapons?

[teryang]

3. Unintended consequences?

They may have been unintended in the case Harris cites. The subversion of the US Constitutional is absolutely intentional.