When In Rome

Ah the Roman Republic. Perhaps one of the most glorious empires the world has ever seen. The likes of which spanned from the fields of Great Britain to the deserts of North Africa, from the coast of present day Portugal to Babylonia. Not only geographically, it withstood the test of time spanning over 400 years.

A government system that reflected that of a Greek democracy, where people voted for representatives (senators) to represent them, much as how our system works today. It was clearly a government meant by the people, for the people.

how, one might ask, did such a system fail? One that was economically prosperous (some buildings they built are still around today). One that had made so many technological advancements in their time (Roman concrete), even a system of delivering water to citizens (the aqueduct). How could this possibly fail?

These senators who were supposed to represent the people became drunk with power and greed. They would offer positions in office for lump sums of money. They accepted bribes for various political favors from the aristocrats, creating an elitist system which ultimately undermines the rights of those with less money.  Leaders who were out of their minds were elected to office.

People say that humanity has come a very long way since then. But, when you look at the grand scheme of things, we have made absolutely no progress at all. Rob Blagojevich tried to sell Barack Obama's seat when Obama went into office. Interest groups offer money and bribes to representatives to make laws that benefit the firms, yet undermine the rights of the people.

But what about the military? The leaders whom lead Rome became power hungry, thirsted for conquest and natural resources. Corrupt beings whose souls were ugly.

How does this have anything to do with us? simple. Our foreign policy as of now is a "preventative" strategy. Ultimately the leaders thirst for either oil or to spread democracy. We have become a society of imperialistic slobs that bully nations out of land so we can control their resources, yet we turn right around and say we are helping them by instilling democracy.

The thirst for conquest is always quenched by defeat.