For as long as I can remember, the United States has been compared to the Roman Empire. Both were altruistic societies in their beginnings, but both also quickly became imperialistic, and resulted in leaders who believed they were gods. There are many similarities, but the biggest difference is their duration; Rome lasted for nearly 500 years, and the United States is unlikely to survive for 300.
One major impediment to greatness existed in Rome and is destroying America today; an acceptance of violence as a way of life.
The emperors of Rome raved about the greatness of their nation, and promised their people ‘200 years of prosperity and greatness.’ They were the most warlike in history, conquering most of Europe and multiple nations in the surrounding area.
The Empire’s claim to fame was military power. Violence became the prowess of its success. The decadent and violent conflicts in the Coliseum defined their national pride. Emperors became more enamored with their own power and dominance not only over other nations, but their own people.
The demise of the Empire began with Constantine. Historical documents place the blame for the fall of the Roman Empire on Constantine and his fellow Christian emperors. The legacy of Rome became weak and when the Goths waged war against a weakened Roman legion, they were defeated and the end was near. Religious influence in politics formulated the end of Rome.
The United States of America is the most warlike nation in modern times. An air of Imperialism has dominated a nation founded on independence and freedom. Politicians have promised us prosperity and greatness, while creating a nation which led to a plutocracy similar to that of the Roman empire. They have allowed religion into our political system and greatly weakened our morality.
The focus of America has become wealth and military supremacy, following in the fatal footsteps of the Roman empire. As the 21st century approached, violence became acceptable. A great similarity to the events which occurred in the Coliseum began to dominate our society. Our government waged unwinnable wars and lost the faith of the people they represented.
In the 20th century, baseball was the ‘American pastime.’ Video games were similar to ‘Pac-Man’ and ‘Mario Brothers.’ Television’s most popular shows were sitcoms and westerns, followed closely by medical dramas. Boxing was in its ‘heyday,’ and considered the ‘sweet science.’ The American people protested wars which made no sense to them, and chanted ‘give peace a chance.’ Politics were a volatile subject, but the two major parties found ways to compromise.
As the 21st century approached, our nation moved to a country filled with fear and hatred. The events of 9/11 were exploited by our government to gain political advantage. As fear tactics became the norm, hatred dominated our society. Gun violence became acceptable. Violence on television and in video games sold to our young men and women were considered normal in a once peaceful and compassionate nation. A street fight motif, incorrectly labeled ‘mixed martial arts’ replaced boxing because of its increased violence. Movies were dominated by the horror genre, and films based on social conscience and love for our fellow man failed at the box office. The violent game of the NFL replaced baseball as our ‘national pastime.’
Today 40 percent of Republican voters support the hatred, racist, bigoted, misogynist, and Islamophobic rants of Donald Trump. Our Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance have no meaning. Money is the god of our nation, and the future of our forefather’s dreams is in great jeopardy.
The saddest truth for me is that I’m not sure that there is any way that our once great nation can be saved. The once Grand Old Party does not exist. The designation of our government as a Democratic Republic is no more than a farce.
If voters decide to support Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in November, our country cannot function, and the dream will be destroyed. The people of the United States deserved more than 240 years. Sadly, the ambitions of politicians have no concern for our nation’s people.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of neiljs
Novels by James Turnage are available on Amazon’s Kindle
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