Posted on 01/05/2010 1:01:42 PM PST by rrdog
Increasing terrorist threats, global warming, health care, or mounting deficits and debt. We hear the constant drumbeat from the right and left everyday. If we take the politics out of the equation, and rely on history, which of these are most likely to cause widespread chaos, and even destruction in the United States? The answers may surprise you.
(Excerpt) Read more at u4prez.com ...
I can think of the first three...Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.
ML/NJ
We have a serious problem with moral character. Too many of us want to live off the labor of our neighbors, and evade our own responsibility for taking care of ourselves.
I agree, except that I think BHO is a wooden headed ventriloquist’s dummy. I think he is in fact disposable, even perhaps a martyr in waiting.
Whoever is master of the ventriloquist who manipulates the dummy is the principal threat we face.
Global Warming is the greatest immediate threat. Although AGW is non-existent, the proposed “solutions” are very real and they are devasting.
Fiscal policy and govt debt is an even greter long term threat.
Although Jihadist terrorism is a real threat and is very serious, it is almost minor in comparison to what our own politicians have in the works.
All of these perceived problems, except for population growth, were created or exasperated by our greedy, corrupt and incompetent representatives in Washington.
Those ten are not even close to the problem. The issue at hand is a nation that has put their entire faith in “dependency” and “pseudo security”
Hope and change!!! Very much alive and well for those that expect handouts. The only reason hope and change isn’t working as fast as they thought is because of the faults of a few ,,,, there are a few of us that still believe in personal responsibility.
That small number is dwindling ... can I get a gubmint bailout please ...
I can think of the first three...Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid
You got that right. and about 59 other Democrat Senators, and a whole slew of House members.
I'd add terrorists and extremists in the judiciary. Pretty sad statement when 4 of the top 5 threats to the nation are internal...and that 5th now has an internal component to it as well.
2. Pelosi
3. Reid
4. Democrats
5. Liberals
6. Islam
7. RINOS
Get rid of these, the rest won't matter
The Romans wish to push their world view on the rest of the world.
Read the whole thing Mr Gurr, for some reason, must have too much idle time,
However:
Apologetically taken out of your context, but the whole reason that the Roman Empire lasted so long and was so successful, and was such a mighty human achievement, was exactly opposite of what you cite in this example.
The Romans, very specifically and very consciously administered their conquests by allowing the endemic cultures to continue in their own traditions, and politic. It was their great understanding, and a magnificent insight. It was a sort of flexible and tolerant protection racket.
A perfect example, in the nature of the season, is Pontius Pilate, asking the Pharisees, why do you want to this Man executed? (He really had no intrinsic motivation to do so). But alas did so, according to what they demanded. Likewise Herod, the Jewish King, in sending out a decree to all the land (Roman dominion).
This is a fairly agreed understanding among more informed historians.
Sorry if your simile was an idle one so that we're nitpicking here, but the Roman reference is inappropriate for such profound pontification.
Johnny Suntrade
I agree on all counts and they (whoever they are) are absolutely willing to see Obama martyred to seize all of the US. I think this will occur, and I will shed no tear when he is gone, the sooner the better. It will start the conflagration, but so be it. Nothing will be cleansed until the fire is lit.
1. The Democrat Party
2. The Democrat Party
3. The Democrat Party
4. The Democrat Party
5. The Democrat Party
6. The Democrat Party
7. The Democrat Party
8. The Democrat Party
9. The "mainstream media"
10. International terrorism
Corruption
Actually, I think you’re quite right and I should have been a bit more careful with that analogy. I do however believe strongly that the collapse was somewhat, not entirely, due to inflation and maintaining of the empire. The Romans did in fact lessen the value of the coinage in order to increase the money supply without resorting to actually finding more silver. This is a tricky one because although there are some similarities vis-a-vis monetary policy, I don’t believe the United States can fairly be compared with other empires. We exact no tribute from nations we protect, or otherwise have a presence within their borders. It was a bad simile and I forced it emphasize the time line and add historical context. Instead I think I inadvertently exaggerated the time line and the comparison.
Ultimately however we still are left with the power play on the part of the Romans. Why did they build an empire in the first place? The expansion of trade was not anywhere near what one would consider saturated, yet the politicians yearned for conquest.
Another thing I always admired about the Romans is that they themselves were immense admirers of the Greeks. Like they realized the great turn in human consciousness founded by the Greeks before them, theatre, art, philosophy, science, mathematics.
At one time in college history classes it was instrumental that the ancient Greeks were the beginning of Western Civilization (as opposed to the bicameral societies of the Middle East). I believe that, from all the evidence available in my education.
JS
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