What Would the Roman Empire Do?

[mondo joe]

At this time of year I am reminded of the amazing irony that the Bush administration and its base are so profoundly obsessed with WHAT WOULD JESUS DO in word, but in action ask only one thing, WHAT WOULD THE ROMAN EMPIRE DO. Y'know, the same Roman Empire that executed Jesus.

There are plenty of parallels between the Bush Empire and the Roman Empire, from their propaganda to the centrality of technology, the hardcore imperialism to softcore imperialism.

But in light of the WW Roman Empire/Jesus DO dichotomy the parallel that most strikes me right now is their approach to religion. Like the Romans, Bushco is willing to allow you to practice your own religion, provided you also pay tribute to the State Religion - in our case, Christianity, and its tribute is the codification of Christianity into law and public practice.

The thing that gets me - other than the dishonesty - is the hubris. Not the hubris that we could create a second Roman Empire of the US. But the hubris that we could do so and yet escape the same fall.

[YOY]

1. You forgot the fiddling while Rome burned...

Oh wait...that's NERO not ZERO...

[wtbymark]

2. Nero IS at the helm n/t

[Champion Jack]

3. What Would the Roman Empire Do?...

Collapse

[ET Awful]

4. Well, some senators might want to have a talk with Julius . . . I mean

George.

(Note: I'm not a senator, and the above is intended purely tongue in cheek as humor in the event anyone who wears a dark suit, drives a black SUV, or flies a black helicopter is monitoring).

:evilgrin:

[Skidmore]

5. Well, about now, we should be working on building a

Coliseum and finding lions and other beasts, and training the WWF or gladiators to a little more bloodier game in the arena. Or maybe the NFL or NHL. And we should be conscripting Iraqis to fight in Iran. And preparing a whole heck of a lot of concrete and quarried stone to build aqueducts and temples to the Divine Emporer Little Boots.

[YOY]

6. The new Coliseum???

Um...you're on it dude. All the blood, gore, and sex you could want...from the safety of your computer desk.

[mondo joe]

8. Coulter is already calling for torture as entertainment.

[Loonman]

7. Treaty of Milan, 313 AD

http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/milan.stm

[Lisa]

9. ironic, isn't it -- all those neoclassical buildings in Washington ...

And at the time of the Founding Fathers, educated people were taught to admire ancient Rome's accomplishments, in terms of science, art, politics ...

They knew about the slavery, torture, political repression, and conquests -- but they thought that they would just focus on the "good things", since this was the Enlightenment, after all.

And, well, America turned out to be uncomfortably close to a lot of other things the Romans did. Bread and circuses -- tax cuts and NASCAR/WWE/NFL/NHL. Growing dependence on cheap labor, at home and abroad -- we don't beat and starve our workers, but we let the overseas sweatshops take care of that for us! In ancient Rome, politicans had to do some kind of military service in order to campaign for the Senate, but then as now, it often was a cushy ceremonial post that gave them a chance to make contacts and line their pockets (or togas, I guess). A lot of people were so poor that joining the legions was their only chance to get a job, and citizenship rights.

[neoblues]

10. Simple. They'd Demand The Populations

Simple. They'd demand The populations of the countries they conquered 'do as they're told'/'obey' (that means accepting the new Roman government, organiztions and rules of citizenship). In other words, just what we're doing in IRAQ (for surely we are the NeoRoman Empire in the formative stages....).