The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Rome's Expansion in Territory vis-a-vis the USA's invasion in the Middle East.

One reason that Rome was so intent on expanding it's Republic is that they thought that since they were the most civilized civilization at that time, that they it was their duty to bring civilization to the rest of the world.  They saw every other civilization except themselves as being backward.  After all they weren't the most powerful nation on earth for no reason.   It reminds me of the United States during the Bush 2 Presidency.  Bush thought it was the duty of the US to bring our brand of democracy to the Middle East.  Not only it would make them a better place, but how could they not want to be free and more like us--the strongest nation on earth.  After all our democratic government is what has made us the most powerful country in the world.  This seems to be an underlying philosophy of all countries who invade others.  Of course, the Romans, spreading their superiority in government organization to weaker countries, didn't keep them from looting other countries.  The same as our wanting to spread American Democracy doesn't mean when won't take their oil or view the country for a new market for American business.

Both ancient Greece and ancient Rome had Democracies, but like American Democracy, their brand of Democracies favored the rich, and in Rome the landowners especially.  I don't think it's possible to have a Democracy that doesn't favor the rich.  The only way to mitigate that is what the Republicans would call socialism.

Marcus Antonius
(my 63rd great grandfather*)

The way I understand it, Marcus Antonius (known in English as Mark Anthony) fell madly in love with Cleopatra and he married her and they had a child, Marcus Antonius Creticus.  However, Rome didn't acknowledge marriages made outside of Rome, so this marriage was never officially recognized.  Also at this time Grandpa Marcus was having trouble with his co-emperor of Rome (although his title wasn't emperor since the Roman Empire was still under the delusion that they were a republic) Octavian.  Octavian was emperor of Western Roman Empire while grandpa Marcus was emperor of the Eastern part, which is how he met that vixen Cleopatra--with all her makeup and perfume.  Octavian and Marcus got in a big fight and one thing that Marcus had to do to appease him was marry his sister Octavia.  He had two children by Octavia.  Octavia wore no makeup and didn't use perfume.  Was the perfect housewife.  Devoted to husband and children.  She was the "good wife," standing up for her husband no matter what he did, because that was her duty, but Marcus couldn't stand it. He went back to Egypt and Cleopatra.  He and Cleopatra had this idea of making Egypt and Rome one, but the Romans couldn't stand that idea.  Grandpa Marcus wanted to move the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Alexandria, but that was the last straw for the Romans.  Octavian invaded Egypt and captured Marcus.  Marcus committed suicide.  Then Octavian wanted to bring Cleopatra back to Rome and have her march in his victory parade.  She didn't see that in her future.  She got someone to bring her an asp and had it bite her so that she would die.  The Egyptians had this myth that if you died by being bitten by an asp that you would be immortal.  That seemed to work.

Three of the main reasons that Rome fell were:

1. Economic problems caused by so many wars always going on
2. Lack of strong leaders
3. Malfunctioning Senate
4. Clashes between social classes because of large gap between the rich and the poor

Gaius Julius  I Caesar (100 BC - 44 BC)
(my 64th Great Grand Uncle*)

Gaius Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul extended the Roman world to the Atlantic Ocean. Caesar also headed the first Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC. After the Roman ruler Pompey decided not to keep him on as head of the Roman army in Gaul, Caesar appealed to his troops and told them that they were being given a raw deal. He and his troops marching into Rome, crossing the Rubicon River, and began a civil war against Pompey. Pompey eventually fled to Egypt where he was killed by the Egyptians and afterwards Caesar met Cleopatra (wife of my 63rd Great Grand Uncle). They had a kid and came back to Rome where Caesar was eventually made dictator for life, but refused the title of king. Rome was still proud of being a Republic even though under Caesar they now had a dictator for life. Some of the Senators (60) didn't like that and stabbed him to death. The Senators were also worried about having their own power eroded.



*According to Ancestry.com.

Iphone Goes Into Space

In the latest issue of "The Economist" today, I read about this website called "Brooklyn Space Program" where these people in New York put an Iphone in a box, and then in a balloon, and sent it up into space.  It's a great video.  To watch it go to http://www.brooklynspaceprogram.org.  The balloon went up 19 miles before bursting.  The phone had a parachute attached to it for if and when the balloon burst.  The phone had a GPS added to it so that it could be found after landing back on earth.  It landed only 30 miles from where it went up.  The GPS on the Iphone is something that will appear on Iphones in the future.

Demonstrations Impact

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -- George Orwell [1903-1950]


 "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." ...George Orwell

I think the sign portraying 1% rich and 99% poor is an exaggeration.  Most people in the USA are not living in poverty.  They are neither poor nor rich.  However, I do think the disparity between the poor and the rich in the USA is too extreme.  The only way to control that in a capitalistic society is through government intervention.  Every capitalistic philosopher I've read believe that capitalism to work must have government controls.

"House GOP Leader Eric Cantor decried the protests that started several weeks ago in New York, and have spread to major cities across the country. Cantor said in a speech at the Values Voters Summit in Washington that he is 'increasingly concerned' about the 'growing mobs' represented at the protests."

I'm glad to hear that Eric Cantor and others in the 1% are worried.  That only shows that  protests are not totally for nothing.

Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that 

 some men should be happier than others.  ...Oscar Wilde

Occupy Wall Street Demonstration

"We got sold out, banks got bailed out" 

Yesterday, Oct. 5, 2011, went down to the financial district to join in demonstration which has the title of Occupy Wall Street. I mainly just took photos and made a video that I posted on YouTube and on my other blog One American Mind.  Demonstration very big, but needs to be bigger and all over the country.   The public outrage is growing as is my outrage.

When the tour buses passed by the demonstration, many people on the buses stood up and gave the demonstrators the peace sign or waved to indicate they sympathized.  Below are some of the signs I saw.