History Repeating Itself?

www.iht.com...

Pompey the Great, and his "War on Terror" that ruined Rome

KINTBURY, England In the autumn of 68 B.C. the world's only military superpower was dealt a profound psychological blow by a daring terrorist attack on its very heart. Rome's port at Ostia was set on fire, the consular war fleet destroyed, and two prominent senators, together with their bodyguards and staff, kidnapped.

The incident, dramatic though it was, has not attracted much attention from modern historians. But an event that was merely a footnote five years ago has now, in our post-9/11 world, assumed a fresh and ominous significance. For in the panicky aftermath of the attack, the Roman people made decisions that set them on the path to the destruction of their Constitution, their democracy and their liberty. One cannot help wondering if history is repeating itself.

Consider the parallels. The perpetrators of this spectacular assault were not in the pay of any foreign power: No nation would have dared to attack Rome so provocatively. Like Al Qaeda, these pirates were loosely organized, but able to spread a disproportionate amount of fear among citizens who had believed themselves immune from attack. .....

We often compare ourselves to the Roman Empire, with due cause. A nation with a solid constitution. An Empire that spans as far as most individual would dare travel. And a civilization that will fall much more quickly than it took to rise.

What can we learn from the past? Are we already too late?

I know there will be many who say that the differences between us make this analogy innacurate, but do we need a mirror image to see similarities?

More info
en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.rosny.tased.edu.au...

Well, considering most American's ignorance of history, we probably are repeating history. Only the people can stop it.

Nice one

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It really makes you think about the world and its present situation

history does repeat it self the war for jerusalem will happen again jihad as they say it on da news is for control fo the world which they wanted before.

Hey, great thread!

I've had this saved on my computer for a while:

Gibbons listed five basic reasons that the enormous Roman Empire was destroyed:

1. The dramatic increase of divorce undermined the institution of the family.

2. The imposition of higher taxes undermined the economic stability and vitality of the Empire. Taxes were raised to pay for deficit government spending, to pay for food for all in society and to pay for government-sponsored activities of diversion, such as circuses and sports. Interestingly, as the time of the final collapse drew closer, greater emphasis was placed on sports, to divert the attention of the public from the distressing news of massive trouble within the Empire.

3. The drive for personal pleasure had become very intense, even to the point of obsession. Gibbons noted that, at the very end, sports had become more exciting and brutal.

4. People lost their faith, both religiously and in their government. Paganism gave way to Christianity and the efficient Roman Government gave way to chaos and disintegration.

5. Hidden conspirators were working within the government to secretly destroy it. They worked quietly, invisibly and deceitfully; during the entire time they were secretly dismantling the government of the Roman Empire, they publicly proclaimed their unswerving support of it.

Makes you think.