Rome and America, A Comparative Analysis

[Antoninus Verus]

The reason the popular vote doesn't win is because the 13 givernors of the 13 original states decided that.

That doesnt even BEGIN to make sense

 

[Pentecostal Boy]

Sorry Meant Governers They're The Ones Who Decided How A Person Could Win The Elections.

 

[Highland Watchman]

Sorry Meant Governers They're The Ones Who Decided How A Person Could Win The Elections.

I would think that the media and the various powerful interest and lobby groups would also have a lot to do with this as well...

 

[Pentecostal Boy]

that wasn't what I was talking about I was talking about back before the media existed.

 

[OhhJim]

Sorry Meant Governers They're The Ones Who Decided How A Person Could Win The Elections.

You really ought to do more research. For one thing, it was the Congress (such as it was) that passed laws, not the Governors.

 

[Pentecostal Boy]

I meant the meating of the leaders at Philadelphia.

 

[OhhJim]

The reason the popular vote doesn't win is because the 13 givernors of the 13 original states decided that.

Well, you got the numbers wrong and the titles wrong. Not a good indication, to my thinking.

 

[Antoninus Verus]

Pent...you show a VERY limited understanding of how the US government works

 

[Pentecostal Boy]

I"m not talking about now!!!!!I'm not talking about COngress!!!!!!!!!I am talking about the assembly when the leaders of the 13 states came together to make the laws!!!!!!!Listen to me!!!!!That is what you two will not do!!!!!!!!YOu two are so hard headed you won't liaten to anyone unless they are just like you!

 

[Antoninus Verus]

I"m not talking about now!!!!!I'm not talking about COngress!!!!!!!!!I am talking about the assembly when the leaders of the 13 states came together to make the laws!!!!!!!Listen to me!!!!!That is what you two will not do!!!!!!!!YOu two are so hard headed you won't liaten to anyone unless they are just like you!

Ok, dude, freaking mellow, ok? No one is ignoring you or refusing to listen, we just cannot understand what the frak you are saying. You are comming through as clear as mud here. So before you start shooting your mouth off and accusing everyone who cant understand your typing, such as it is, make sure its understandable, eh?

 

[OhhJim]

I"m not talking about now!!!!!I'm not talking about COngress!!!!!!!!!I am talking about the assembly when the leaders of the 13 states came together to make the laws!!!!!!!Listen to me!!!!!That is what you two will not do!!!!!!!!YOu two are so hard headed you won't liaten to anyone unless they are just like you!

Well, now, if it weren't for us, you'd be on record as saying that national laws were made by 13 givernors. You ought to be thanking us!

 

[Geezerjohn]

**Gags on his sandwich** ExSCUSE me? My friend, without Rome, MUCH of what YOU know today would not be here. INCLUDING Christianity. The Romans were no better or worse than anyone else.

Oh really? Did you know that we are the ONLY country to have ever used nuclear weapons? We dropped nuclear bombs on cities, killing millions of people. We dropped firebombs on Japanese cities, burning tens of thousands of innocent people alive. We let our soldiers abuse our prisoners of war while people at home display signs that say "Die Ragheads Die". Noooo were not evil in the LEAST
Yeeeaahhhh...and we've been doing SUCH a great job with that http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/04/09/iraq.main/index.html

And you dont think that the help we give them could possibly go to an African nation where everyone is starving to death and the GNP is about a hundred bucks?

I just read through this post. Many interesting comments.

I was not aware that Rome gave us Christianity, I thought Christ did. Although Rome certainly made its contributions to the world, so have many other cultures, including the United States.

Just for your information, millions did not die in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, the figure was in the hundreds of thousands. Get your facts straight. At the time we were at war with Japan (an empire). Conservative estimates were that a conventional land assault to take Japan would have cost upwards of 5 million lives, including soldiers on the American side as well as the Japanese. Many more civilians would have died if we had launched a conventional assault. Others here have already clarified the thinking behind the choice of targets. By the way, American civilians were killed at Pearl Harbor. You have forgotten the countless thousands of soldiers who were POWs and slaughterd by the Japanese. I think it is a tribute to beople on both sides of the Pacific that we have put that behind us, and live peacefully. BTW, I personally know men who survived the Battan death march, the camps, and even a few concentration camp survivors. Your views of who was in the wrong here are odd to say the least.

As far as "letting our soldiers abuse prisoners of war" you seem confused between the acts of a few soldiers (who were caught and punished) and the American people. To say America is evil because of the action of a handful of misguided soldiers is a bit of a stretch. I also didn't hear any objections from you regarding Americans being beheaded. Last time I looked, Muslim terrorists have been attacking Americans. Did you sleep through the Olympic Games, Embassy bombings, Aircraft bombings, the attack on the USS Cole, the first bombing of the WTC, and September 11? Should we conclude that all Muslims are terrorists because of the actions of some of them?

The United States has not "occupied" any more land than it takes to bury our dead. Go look at Normandy France. If it were not for the sacrifice of Americans Europe would be under German domination. We have not taken possession of Afganistan, or Iraq. In my humble opinion, it would be wrong for the United States to observe decades of slaughter, torture, and unspeakable horror under the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, and stand back and do nothing. Diplomacy was tried for decades.

As far as people at home saying "Die Ragheads Die" that's is right up there with people carrying signs that proclaim, "Bush is Hitler" "Too Bad Bush's Mother Didn't Have An Abortion" "Death To America" "End The Evil Empire" and all the other PC hatred spewed by the left.

I do not have a Pollyanna view of America. We, like every single nation on the face of the earth, have our shining moments and our share of things to be ashamed of. I love America. Are we the New Rome? I doubt it. Are there similarities? Yes. Are we in decline? I think that depends on how you define decline. I do think that as long as our educational systems continue to spew out people that have been taught what to think rather than how to think, we will continue to have a very fractured society.

 

[one love]

Rome used mercenaries. The only similarity I can see the US prevailing in this field is with robots.
Romans felt as if they were entitled to take over the world. Many Americans feel the same way.
They wore skirts, we wear pants.
They valued gold, we value oil.

 

[Pentecostal Boy]

we value gold to.How do you think our economy is so great?

 

[Illuminatus]

we value gold to.How do you think our economy is so great?

Your economy is great? News to me. Your dollar is worth less than the Euro, you suffer rampant unemployment, and your stock markets are more volatile than a pyromaniac on an oil platform.

Not to mention, this is a slightly disturbing line coming from a Christian; whatever happened to "It would be easier for a camel to pass through the head of a needle", et al, et al?

 

[Antoninus Verus]

Just for your information, millions did not die in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, the figure was in the hundreds of thousands. Get your facts straight. At the time we were at war with Japan (an empire). Conservative estimates were that a conventional land assault to take Japan would have cost upwards of 5 million lives, including soldiers on the American side as well as the Japanese. Many more civilians would have died if we had launched a conventional assault. Others here have already clarified the thinking behind the choice of targets. By the way, American civilians were killed at Pearl Harbor. You have forgotten the countless thousands of soldiers who were POWs and slaughterd by the Japanese. I think it is a tribute to beople on both sides of the Pacific that we have put that behind us, and live peacefully. BTW, I personally know men who survived the Battan death march, the camps, and even a few concentration camp survivors. Your views of who was in the wrong here are odd to say the least.

I never said the Japanese were angels, my point was that we need not have decimated two cities that caused the instant death of so many people. Hundreds of thousands died instantly, but that number rose dramatically with the effects of radiation poisoning, cancer, and severe birth defects. Not to mention our fire-bombing of Japanese cities that added to the death-toll. And yes I know there were civilians at Pearl Harbor, but why do you use that to justify the slaughter of innocent people when wiping out a military base would have been just as effective? Do thier actions justify ours? I dont think so

As far as "letting our soldiers abuse prisoners of war" you seem confused between the acts of a few soldiers (who were caught and punished) and the American people. To say America is evil because of the action of a handful of misguided soldiers is a bit of a stretch.

I never said America is evil. And we only know of the abuses that we CAUGHT, how much more of that goes on that we DONT see? From what Im hearing from people who are comming back....its not exactly hugs and kisses over there.

I also didn't hear any objections from you regarding Americans being beheaded. Last time I looked, Muslim terrorists have been attacking Americans. Did you sleep through the Olympic Games, Embassy bombings, Aircraft bombings, the attack on the USS Cole, the first bombing of the WTC, and September 11? Should we conclude that all Muslims are terrorists because of the actions of some of them?

Just because I dont speak about something means I condone it? I do not support terrorist actions of any nation or people unless solidly justified (IE: French Resistance during WW2 or the IRA during the British occupation).

The United States has not "occupied" any more land than it takes to bury our dead.

Not directly, no

Go look at Normandy France. If it were not for the sacrifice of Americans Europe would be under German domination.

Would it? Do you have anything to suggest the Russians would not have utterly crushed the Germans? Hitler was making HUGE mistakes in our favor during the war and towards the end he got REALLY desperate. If we had done nothing, the Russians would probably have.

We have not taken possession of Afganistan, or Iraq.

Afganistan....maybe. Iraq, we have not DIRECTLY taken it, but we have installed pro-American leaders who will agree with us and do what we tell them to do.

In my humble opinion, it would be wrong for the United States to observe decades of slaughter, torture, and unspeakable horror under the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, and stand back and do nothing.

The exact same conditions existed, and in some places still do, in African countries, I dont see any American tears about that. Stalin butchered his own people, what did we do about it? Nothing.

As far as people at home saying "Die Ragheads Die" that's is right up there with people carrying signs that proclaim, "Bush is Hitler" "Too Bad Bush's Mother Didn't Have An Abortion" "Death To America" "End The Evil Empire" and all the other PC hatred spewed by the left.

Speaking as a moderate, I find both points of view rather uncomfortable.

we value gold to.How do you think our economy is so great?

Im forced to agree with Illuminatus. When Mc Doodles isnt hiring, you KNOW your economy is in the toilet

 

[Roman Soldier]

Maybe we're more like the Greeks under Alexander- who conquered the Middle East searching for wealth.

 

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

There are also many cultural parallels between the US and Rome. When Rome was in decline, artistic expression became much more hedonistic and less inspirational (Need I point to some of the "stuff" called art in America today?) Further, the Roman people became more and more obsessed with both Sport and leisure activities, as well as vicarious violence, were less and less inclined to fight in order to defend themselves, they became fixated on entitlements - the dole (i.e. welfare), as society declined, the people blamed that decline on the Christians . . . . sound familiar at all??

you hit the nail on the head!

 

[OhhJim]

...as society declined, the people blamed that decline on the Christians . . . . sound familiar at all??

Actually, for the last 150 years or so, Christianity was the official religion of Rome, so no, they weren't blaming Christians for anything. They WERE blaming pagans, perhaps that's what makes society fall!

Perhaps you are thinking of Nero, but you know that he lived several centuries before Rome fell?

 

[Pentecostal Boy]

Actually of you want to see unenployment look at THe Great Depression Illumanist!We have much much less unenployment now.Do you know why?It doesn't have to do with our economy!If you pay half attention to the U.S. you might know a little bit about it!
It's because stupid companies are moving plants over seas!Learn a little bit about my nation before you talk to me about how are economy is!!!!