[aclug-L] Re: Richard Reid

[Michael Moore <mrmoore@xxxxxxx>]

Nice.


Chris Owen wrote:

>On 3 Feb 2003, Jonathan Hall wrote:
>
>  
>
>>>Will the USA as we know it come to an end?  Perhaps.  But, comparing us
>>>to the Roman Empire is very insulting.  Maybe, you should go back an
>>>      
>>>
>>It is insulting--that's the whole point.  Sometimes the truth hurts.
>>It's better to realize it as truth and change, than to ignore the
>>truth and remain ignorant, though.
>>    
>>
>
>Comparing the two isn't insulting.  It is stupid.  The Roman empire
>physically captured and exploited half the world's population.  They did
>so through war, rape (literally taking over cultures by impregnating all
>the available woman so they would have Roman babies) and complete
>distruction of socities.
>
>The US is certainly capable of doing the same now but it doesn't.
>Partially because we learned long ago that there are easier ways to get
>what you want, but also because as a society we don't do such things.
>
>I'd never make the argument that the US doesn't ever do anything wrong but
>given its power it could certain behave in much worse ways than it does.
>Invading Europe with Starbucks, Star Wars and blue jeans is not the same
>thing as murdering, pillaging and plundering.  Think what you will about
>globalism, but NAFTA is not the Punic wars.
>
>When Rome defeated Carthage in the 3rd Punic war they systematically
>slaughtered most of the popluation of the entire country.  Those that were
>not killed were sold into slavery.  The capital was burned to the ground
>and the fields around it were sown with salt to prevent them from being
>farmed again.
>
>Why did the 3rd Punic war start?  What did Carthage do to deserve this
>treatment?  Basically they recovered from the beating that the Romans gave
>them in the 2nd Punic war.  They didn't do anything to threaten Rome or
>anything, just had a good thing going.  The Romans were suspicious of
>their prosperity and demanded that they abandon their territory and move
>inland in Africa.  Since Carthage were basically commercial traders who
>relied on sea trade this wasn't a real great offer for them.  When they
>refused to basically give up everything they had the Romans went to war
>and totally destroyed the country.
>
>Compare this to "The mouse that roared" treatment that Europe got after
>WWII and I don't think there is any real comparison.  We may not be
>perfect but we are better than most and certainly a lot better than the
>Romans.
>
>Chris
>
>--
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Chris Owen                ~ Garden City (620) 275-1900 ~  Lottery (noun):
>President                 ~ Wichita     (316) 858-3000 ~    A stupidity tax
>Hubris Communications Inc ~       www.hubris.net       ~
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
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>



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