[bvw]

The key idea of the essay is : ""A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly against the city. But the traitor moves among those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rustling through all alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. … He rots the soul of a nation; he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city; he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist." -- Cicero

I say Circero was wrong. The USA is one proof -- the USA was born and grew strong with many, close to most, inhabitants of this country against nearly every war we fought. We were born with much sedition and treason within, and have never been rid of it. A large number and at times most colonial-era inhabitants were against the Revolution. Our Civil War was one beloved brother "treasonous" to the other beloved brother.

Circero speaks for the Roman ideal -- and that died. It was not viable. We are a different ideal. We are NOT Rome.

[ThirstyMan]

If treason from within weakens us then it is merely a simple extrapolation to suggest that an excess of such betrayal can actually take us down.

I mean it is a testament to the morality of our people that we can survive the treason being unleashed on us today. Our ability to survive the loss of morality in our people is a grim prospect.

[NicknamedBob]

"I say Circero was wrong."

I wonder if this Circero you speak of spoke in Pig Latin.

P.S. My money is on him. (Ham?)

[Young Scholar]

The USA is one proof -- the USA was born and grew strong with many, close to most, inhabitants of this country against nearly every war we fought. We were born with much sedition and treason within, and have never been rid of it.

There is a big difference between opposing a war the US is fighting and sedition or treason, which are associated with a desire to see the US defeated.

[LiteKeeper]

I think you are wrong. When rags like the New York Times thinks it can publish anything it wants - including classified documents, we are in trouble. And has to stop now!

[Nevermore]

I say Circero was wrong.

I say YOU are wrong; Cicero was right. The fact that this nation has survived is rooted in the fact that we would NOT tolerate subversion. This nation will fail when it loses the will,the nerve to confront it.

USA was born and grew strong with many, close to most, inhabitants of this country against nearly every war we fought.

...with dissenters within, yes, but not with tolerance for enemies within. In fact, on occasion - not defending this, but noting that it was done - we relocated perceived or potential enemies, like the Japanese during WWII. You are failing to acknowledge(or purposefully ignoring?) that the key idea of this essay is the difference between dissent and sedition.

A large number and at times most colonial-era inhabitants were against the Revolution.

Many were tarred & feathered.

Our Civil War was one beloved brother "treasonous" to the other beloved brother.

And many of them died at the hands of the other...they didn't hold hands!

Again, this is not to say that we ought to relocate by racial profile, tar & feather dissenters or take arms in a civil war against political opponents. But for you to suggest that this country thrived and went merrily on its way these 200+ years without curtailing freedoms at times it was deemed necessary, without confronting the enemy within - even the wrongly-perceived enemy within - is plain ignorant.