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Which argument in the article about the comparisons between ancient Rome and contemporary America did you find most compelling or convincing? WHY?
Do you think the comparison between the two "empires" is valid? Why or why not?
The argument I found to be most compelling in the comparison between ancient Rome and contemporary America compares the stories of how each "empire" was said to have been founded. The Romans believed that their founder, Romulus, was the son of the powerful god of war, Mars. Americans often glorify the founder fathers as heroic, brave men rebelling against an oppressive king. Despite the superficial differences between the two stories, both are connected by an underlying theme: the actual stories were exaggerated or otherwise embellished to make it seem as though these superpowers were destined for greatness from the moment of their inception. I thought this was a really interesting comparison and certainly wouldn't have thought about it had this article not presented the idea.
ReplyDeleteI do think the comparison between the two is valid, however, I would not suggest that the similarities between the two "empires" are exclusive; that is, other nations that are successful and prosperous to some degree are likely to share at least as few characteristics with the original world superpower that was Rome.
I think the most convincing argument made in the article is the imperial presence Rome and now the US has in the world. During the times of the Roman Empire, people feared its military. They also used propaganda to show how amazing their empire was. They made people want to be a part of their empire by having great technology - the roads, bathtubs, and togas. In the US, we have a very powerful military that is feared across the world. Everyone around the world can view our 24 hour news coverage of the military. Everyone wants to be a part of what the US is. A nation were there is Starbucks, McDonalds and Disney. The great technology of these two nations also contribute to the fact that everyone wants to be a part of them.
ReplyDeleteI understand that Rome and the US have so many similarities and what happened to Rome could happen to us. But I feel like we have other countries that will help us if we are in grave danger of falling. Our allies could help us, Rome had no allies only enemies.
I found the most convincing argument in the article to be the comparison of foreign allies. Rebellions against the Roman empire were a permanent fixture. Barbarians were constantly trying to press the borders and bring Rome down, but most cases show that they were not always anti-Rome. I never would have thought of America to have rebellions that were not always anti-America, but like the article mentioned Saddam Hussein, a former US protégé and Osama bin Laden, a one-time CIA trainee both rebelled against the United States.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the comparisons of the two Empires is very valid. I also think that not many people have thought of America that way. Citizens of the United States should be more aware of information like this in order to prevent another episode like the fall of Rome.
The most compelling argument in "Rome, AD ... Rome, DC, was the comparison of Rome's technology and America's technology. Rome had straight roads that made it possible for troops or supplies to the military to be transported at great speeds; speeds that would not be topped for a few thousand years. Today,technology is improved upon rapidly, and for those speeds to hold a record for over thousands of years amazed me. The initial invention of straight roads later transformed in to what we know as the internet which "now stands at the heart of American commerce".
ReplyDeleteI do think that the comparisons of the two empires is valid. Although, I'm not sure that just because the U.S is being compared to Rome means that it will fall as Rome did. I think now that people are more educated about how the fall of Rome occurred, U.S citizens should be able to stop, or at least aid our country if it began to fall.
I feel like the comparison between the Empire of Rome and America is definitely valid. There are many things that are similar between the two superpowers like their military. The United States and Rome both have a very large military that are well payed and are very powerful. Another common aspect between the two are their technology. They both are very technologically advanced for their time.
ReplyDeleteI think the most compelling argument in this article was the comparison between Rome's technology and America's. The Roman Empire's biggest technology was their straight roads, that could import and export goods, and to move troops from one place to another fastly. These roads were a big accomplishment because they moved transported items, ideas, and people at rates that would have taken a thousand years to catch up to. America's biggest technology break was the invention of the internet, which was the "information superhighway". It began as a military tool, but now is the center of America's commerce.
ReplyDeleteI think that the comparison between the two empires is valid because it shows the crisis that brought down Rome, and it wants to make sure American's are aware of what could happen to our country.
I think the most compelling argument in the article was the statements made regaurding the military strength and power and technology improvements. Rome was the superpower of its day and the US military is just as dominant. The Romans had the best training, biggest budget and finest equiptment. The US has military bases in 40+ countries world wide. The article described America as a place where there is nothing out of reach. Rome then and the US now are similar in their military ranking because they both have the best and were provided with the best because of their technology leads. Ancient Rome developed straight roads which was useful to move troops to different parts of Rome to avoid Barbarian attacks at their borders and to move supplies. Overall it was very convienent for military use. The US's global techmological lead can get something somewhere in lightening speed. This allows great access for troops over seas. They both had great improvements in their technology that improved the strength and power of the military.
ReplyDeleteI do think the comparison between Rome and the US is valid but I don't think the United States will fall as terribly as Rome did. I think articles like this one are an eye opener for US citizens and because of this is can potentially prevent the US from falling. Since Rome had only enemies, the US has allies that can help us if we begin to fall.
The most compelling argument in this article was the one comparing Rome's military force to America's. Both of these "empires" are not only overwhelmingly strong, but they're also feared. Rome was on top for a good amount of time, not allowing anyone to try and press their boundaries. With America, we are involved in so many other nations, it wouldn't be just to invade. Although some may not think it, America also conquered people and their territory in order to expand, just as the Romans did. In Rome's case, they had most of their world (at that time) in control. To this day, America has military bases in 40 countries across the globe. It's safe to say that both of these "empires" are almost identical military strength.
ReplyDeleteI do think that the comparisons of the two "empires" are valid. However, i don't necessarily agree in the sense that the same thing will happen to America. With our advancements in technology and foreign allies, if anything happens to the US that's the least bit similar to the Romans, we will know what to do to stop it.
I think the most compelling arguement is the comparison between the US and Rome's military presnce in the world. Rome had the biggest and best army with the best technology in the world just like the US has the largest defence budget in the world which has put it on top of the world as far as military power and technology. Also both countries conquered alot of land and many people. Most people don't see it in this way but the US had to battle the Native Americans to gain its land similar to the way Rome had to defeat all the native people in their way.
ReplyDeleteI think that the comparisons are valid as far as the rise, however, i don't believe the US will fall in the same way. Two parts of Rome's demise were that its government had a hard time controlling everything because its empire was so large, and that it was attacked from all sides and had no allies to help them. I don't believe either of these will happen to the US because it is divided into states with their own governments so that one leader will never have to completely control everything the way Rome's emperors did. Also the US has allies to help and less enemies so it is not its the US against the world the way it was with Rome.
I believe that the most compelling argument in "Rome, AD...Rome, DC" is how both Ancient Rome and the current United States embrace diversity. In the Roman Empire their society included an incredible variety of ethnicities. They welcomed people from all different nations promising them all the same chance to succeed and promising a better life. Similarly, the United States is often referred to as the "melting pot" where all nationalities and ethnicities are accepted and given the chance to reach the "American dream". Living in the United States is depicted to be ideal, where everyone is given equal opportunities and exposed to leading technologies and advancements. Both governments include multiple ethnicities working together towards achieving a common goal. Also, citizens of both Rome and the U.S. are encouraged to embrace their other heritage by forming a "cognomen" to illuminate their additional background in a hyphenated name such as Greek-Roman or Asian-American. Overall, both Ancient Rome and the United States support diversity which then enriches their society.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the comparison between the U.S. and Rome is valid to some degrees. Although they share numerous similarities that is what will result when a country bases their structure off of an empire that achieved such greatness. Seeing that our country has studied the mechanisms of the Roman Empire I think that we should be able to recognize when there are similarities that could potentially cause America to fall.
I believe that the most convincing argument is the comparison of the military strengths. The United States and Rome were very similar in the idea of army training and technology. Both United States and Rome have or had dominant strength over other countries throughout the world. Both countries have high budgets and invest large amounts of money in to their military.
ReplyDeleteI think that the comparison of militaries between Rome and the United States is valid except for one example. I think that Rome in it's time did much more conquering and colonizing than the United States has done. When the Holy Roman Empire was at the peak of it's power it controlled most of Europe. As for the United States, it only conquered what is now its own land and does not control other countries.
In the article “Rome, AD…Rome, DC?” by Jonathan Freedland, he brings up many comparisons of the Roman Empire to modern day America. His most compelling arguments to me were that they both have the strongest, most financed military and the most technological advances. Firstly, in ancient Rome they conquered very much land and they were a very strong battle force. In America today, we are believed to have the strongest military with many technological advances such as bombs and undetectable jets that others try to replicate. Our military force is also one of the most strong and feared because we are the only country ever to actually drop an atomic bomb on another, and we are making even more destructive weapons that are in the works. Additionally, we are even more technologically advanced commercially also, just like the Roman Empire was. The Roman Empire built roads that have affected the world we live in today. They also made advances in architecture, art, entertainment, cookware, and many other commonalities to modern day people. America is doing the same for future generations. We discovered and created electricity, cars, phones, iPods, mp3 players, computers, laptops, many video games, the internet, photography and film. These are all technological advances that have even become common amongst people in the past fifty or so years, such as cars and household computers. We created a new kind of highway and movement, the internet, just like Rome had its roads. These two points that Jonathan Freedland present help his argument that these two “empires” are alike, which I agree to. Before we even began reading this article, I myself was beginning to see a comparison between Rome and America. I do not necessarily think that we are an empire, but we are a strong superpower and influence on not only the world around us but the future. Especially since there have been many advances since America was established only about 250 years ago. There are just too many commonalities between us and Rome to ignore.
ReplyDeleteThe argument that I found most compelling was about military force. Since it is the most obvious, it is easiest to make similarities with. Both the American and Roman militaries have very large budgets for their militaries. They both also have some of the latest technology. I originally thought the two were dissimilar when it came to colonizing foreign lands, the articles changed my mind. I never thought of having military bases in other countrys are like controlling them, like looking over their shoulders. Also, America took over land just as the Romans did. I think that the comparison between the two is completely valid; there are too many similarities to ignore. I think that we could eventually fall in a similar way to Rome, however, we are still a relatively young country and Rome did not fall until it was much older than America is now.
ReplyDeleteThe two empires of Rome and the United States are very similar in many different ways. When Rome was experiencing their fall they made many of the same decisions that America is making now. Rome was having a collapsing economy and the government was giving out more money to the poor than ever. America is doing the same thing now, the economy got really bad and a lot of people lost their jobs because of it. The government gave out a ton of money to people and the businesses that were very much affected. The signs are all there that the United States will fall like the Roman Empire due to all of the matching circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThe argument that I found most convincing was the comparison about the Military. Both the U.S and Roman government have a big budget for their militaries. They both have the newest and best technology available because they put so much money into the military. Both the U.S and Roman militaries were the best of their times. The only part of the comparison I disagree with is that I think that Rome did a lot more conquering and controlled all of what we now call Europe. The U.S only controls it's own land and doesn't have control in any other countries.
ReplyDeletehello my fellow wizards
ReplyDeleteNero said: "Let us tax and tax again. Let us see to it that no one owns anything!"
ReplyDeletewhich is the most convincing argument as to why the US will fall, just as Rome did.
What's happening now, in the US, is that people are becoming frustrated with the inclining taxes and prices of goods and fuel. The Nero statement is similar to the generalization that most now make in regards to their state leaders specifically, for example, the almost ludicrous "cow tax" on cattle ranchers, and the tax on the tax on tobacco.
The toll that the taxation in this country is taking is comparable to if one were to stretch an elastic band; slowly, until it finally snaps apart. Of course, that breakage point has not yet been reached here, but in ancient Rome, apparently it had, and it contributed to the destruction of Rome's economy (and attitudes/outlooks) and therefore, the destruction of it. As history has a tendency to repeat itself, it is fairly reasonable that the US could come to a close, just as the Roman empire did, as nothing more to someone somewhere years from now than a page in a history book.
The most compelling argument presented was how both Rome and America were very agressive and successful in conquering foreign land. Rome battled with many nations, most notably Carthage, for control of the mediterranean and Julius Caesar bragged about slaughtering the Gauls. While America didn't boast about it's success in taking over others, it also conquored and conlonised the west and took homes from many Native American tribes. It has military bases in fourty countries around the world, giving it some control over those countries.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is how the nations handled their conquests. Rome was proud and bragged about what they'd accomplished, and most Americans today feel uncomfortable disscussing the subject. The comparison between the two is valid, but it doesn't mean America is destined to follow in Rome's footsteps.
I believe the most compelling argument would be the one on the imperialism of both "Empires". The way we are shown to look at America through it's history could make just about anybody believe that America is not imperialistic due to the fact it freed itself from British imperialism. When actually looked into though there is no way that the U.S. is not imperialistic. Instead of bragging about it the way Emperors like Julius Caesar did we look at it as in way a shameful part of our history, such as stealing land from the Native Americans. But it is also in a way glorified. For instance the president that brought about the Trail of Tears is on our twenty dollar bill. I feel as though everything being argued in said comparison is, not only entirely valid but also, for the most part, true. What is being argued is a certain way of looking at fact. It's all supported and therefore entirely valid.
ReplyDeleteThe argument I found to be the most compelling was about the military force, because it deffinately was explained and to the point. But they both have many similarities, such as there technological advancement, large military budgets, and have power over land throughout the world to secure military positions. Rome was the first to create roads to reach far away places easier, they also made aqueducts that channeled water towards Rome. The US has technology like computers, cell phones, electricity, normal household items, etc. Rome deffinately had a large amount of money that was focused on the military, due to all of the outsider attacks on the empire. As well as the US, we spend money to keep out terrorists, illegal immigrants, and attempt to keep the world at peace. Rome and the US also owned a lot of land that was not always part or even near the country/empire. Rome had military on the look out from as north as Great Britian, and south as Africa. They also had partial ownership of the Middle East. US has military bases and power over Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. Yes I deffinately think the comparison between the two is deffinately valid, as I proved above. There are so many similarities they share, you simply cant ignore them.
ReplyDeleteThe argument that I found most compelling was the one about the military. Both Rome and the US had a defense system that no other country even comes close to having. They also both boasted about having the largest bases and wanted others to see. The Romans did so by holding gladiator games and the US does it now by their 24 hour news coverage of military operations. I think that this was the most compeling argument because the silmilarites are easy to see and are obvious.
ReplyDeleteThe most compelling argument in Rome, AD Rome, DC, was the comparison of Rome's technology and America's technology. Rome had roads that helped the military get to places fast where it was needed. The roads also helped get suplies out to the military forces or to places that towns are in need. Todays technology has improved so fast in such a little time period is amazing to me. I think that the advancements that Rome had were grate for the time they were in, but for us we have new technology every day. Rome took hundreds of years to invent the technology they had. I think this was the most compeling argument because the differences and similarites are simple to see.
ReplyDeleteI find the most important comparison between Rome and America is the economic one. There are economic similarities between America and Ancient Rome regarding the amount of money that we spend on the military. In both cases military spending is causing the government to become bankrupt. This is a valid comparison. Both America and Rome had large standing armies that needed to be supplied and those armies were spread out over a large area.
ReplyDeleteI think that the argument about how similar our militaries are, is one of the best facts to prove how simmilar Ancient Rome and America really are. Both of our militaries were and are the strongest of our kind. Also the spend a huge amout of government money on the militaries expences, ancient Rome did the same. Even with this similarity beteen military is verry valid, i dont think that our two empires are all that simmilar because we have many more check and balances in our government that help keep us from falling unlike their goverment that got out of control.
ReplyDelete