I recently read an interesting, well written book comparing ancient Rome at it's height to modern America. If you google 'Are We Rome' you will find many links to reviews etc. It was interesting to read about Rome's history and see the parallels that we are repeating today. Below is an exerpt from a review on Amazon.com written by Daniel B. Clendenin: (i made the bold words)"After a short prologue, Murphy devotes one chapter each to six parallels of "direct relevance" between ancient Rome and modern America. Both empires exhibit the symptoms of solipsism-- an exaggerated self-identity, the isolating effects of exceptionalism, ignorance of others, the presumptions of privilege, and sheer arrogance. Militarism characterizes both societies. Today America has 700 bases in 60 countries, and in any one year will conduct "operations" of some sort in 170 countries. Murphy suggests that our military is both "too large to be affordable, and too small to do everything it is asked to do." He then turns to how America has blurred the distinctions between the private and public (government) sectors, "the deflection of public purpose by private interest." Outsourcing government responsibilities might be effective and even necessary, but selling the public good for private profit isn't. The fourth parallel between Rome and America is the disdain with which both view outsiders ("barbarians") as inferior. Fifth, Murphy explores the complex notion of borders, both literal (eg, immigration) and figurative. Finally, in his epilogue he examines the "inherent complexity" of large empires like Rome and America. Are they ungovernable?"
An interesting observation was made in the epilogue that the 'fall' was really not noticeable until decades after it happened. Finding the peak of an empire is much harder to find than say the peak of a stock price. Many aspects of the Roman empire carried on even centuries after it's apex. After reading this book i wonder has America reached it's peak already? What can we do as a nation and as individuals to improve life in this country and the world? Murphy talks about his book if you click here.
2 comments:
A couple things this country needs to do are: Stop growing our government and we the people need a great awakening to be real followers of Christ, which would greatly influence politics and government. This is really simplistic,but gov't is supposed to do a few things to govern such as roads, police, protection (armed forces), & a system of justice and maybe a couple other things. When people keep getting elected that want to carry on illegal activities in their offices or want to take away more liberty, somethings wrong with the voters.
Here's my 2 cents. Of course we are Rome. All human systems eventually fade and fail. Perhaps it is our time.
But I would also invoke the stock market here. I remember back in the 80's when I was first trying to figure out the way money works. I went to the library and easily half the books I encountered were in the vein of "Why High Interest Rates Are Here to Stay and What You Should Do About It." And they were all wrong.
I personally think that as far as human systems of organization go, America is better than most, but I hope I never begin to equate in any way the success or failure of my kingdom with the success or failure of God's kingdom. And I'd like to think I have the backing of scripture in that consideration.
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