Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New Book: Why America Is Not A New Rome by Vaclav Smil
In light of the current Rome exhibit at the US Constitution Center, this book caught my interest. I can't yet tell whether he really has a point or is just splitting hairs. I have only read bits and pieces so far; I'd love to hear what you all think! Click here to read excerpts.
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I love making comparisons between the United States and Rome, so this book looks like a helpful counterbalance. Skimming through some introductory and concluding material, Smil concedes that, despite some specific but not-so-fruitful comparisons that we can make, the most significant similarity between the two giants is their respective uniqueness on the timeline of history (172). His insights into both Rome and America look focused and thoughtful. Certainly, the task of exploring how different they are gives Smil insights into each one.
ReplyDeleteFor myself, I enjoy large and amorphous generalities (as fruitful ground for exploration and construction). In reading national histories, I find the Judges cycle a very helpful paradigm. Nations (like individuals) follow great successes with periods of laziness and massive failure. There may be an overall upward spiral to Western history as a result of the salt of the gospel, but this fundamental human experience of rise and fall holds true in any case. I think that Rome illustrates another (related) human tendency very well. Humans rightly desire political freedom, which republican and representative forms of government provide very nicely (as early Roman history demonstrates to a real degree). At its founding, our nation deliberately modeled our government structures on Rome (along with a conglomeration of Enlightenment, Conciliar, and Presbyterian theories or government). These forms of representative government require a strong national character to sustain. As success erodes character, we begin to beg for tyranny, hoping that a strong political leader will save us from ourselves. Rome, around the time of Cicero, when through this; and we are at least near that stage ourselves. Despite all the differences in particulars, I think that these are comparisons well worth exploring. There may even be some very particular benefits to draw from these vague comparisons.