Journal #2

Kyle  Anderson

Journal 2

       Robert W. Strayer Starts chapter four by quoting another author who asked the question “Is the united States the new Roman Empire” (Strayer 2009 p.97). To me this is a very interesting idea that I have never thought about, but I can defiantly see why some one would ask that question. Strayer describes many aspects of what makes a culture or a civilization an empire by saying that the word,

“is normally reserved for larger and more aggressive states, those that conquer, rule, and extract resources from other states and people. Thus empires have generally encompassed a considerable variety of peoples and cultures within a single political system... [and] frequently, empires have given political expression to a civilization or culture” (Strayer 2009 p.98). 

When you apply this definition to the United States you can clearly see that there is a lot of similarities between the this country and the Roman Empire. The author continues to uses chapter four to describe how certain empires were created, and why they diminished, including Rome. This further strokes my interest because I keep relating it back to where I live and what I know, which is the United States. 

      While reading this chapter I started wondering, if the United States truly is the new modern Roman Empire, could we use the knowledge of history to stop us from repeating the past, and causing the inevitable fall of this great nation. In other world is it possible for the United States to be the last great empire that the world has ever known. It raises the question, is every great nation doomed to fail. Maybe this is not possible, or it could just be too idealistic and even a little utopian. However, If the united states was in fact, the last great empire, would it still be considered an empire. Dose the collapse of a great nation allow historians to declare that particular country or territory an empire. Is the declaration in the definition of an empire it self. 

         Perhaps, I am just questioning semantics but nevertheless I find it interesting and important to explore my curiosity.  Regardless, I need to remember not to stray to far away from the important aspects of examining the past history. At the end of chapter four Strayer put this in perceptive by saying “we have little else to go on expect history in making our way through the complexities of contemporary life,... [and] although the past may be gone, it surely is not dead” (Strayer 2009 p.122).

Reference

Strayer W. Robert. (2009). Ways of the world: A brief global history. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.

Martin’s