Compare Roman with the US

I got to a real good web site that has a detailed yet easy to read history of Rome. I am sure a lot of people already done more study of the history and did comparison between Rome and the US, I am just to state what I see as interesting similarities.

It is pretty obvious that the western democracy is largely based on Rome's republic system. However, Rome lacked an executive branch and I am not sure if it had an separate judicial branch either. But the idea of a senate is clearly from Rome. But the frequent wars Rome had to fight clearly demanded some level of authortative control of the military. So the consulship and the temporary dictatorship was the logical solution.

In a way our president is like a solo consul vs. Rome's join consul. I think some people worry about our president to become a dictator is well warrented. However, for people to think Bush would be that dictator is completely wrong. It is very clear that both Caesar and Augustus were very popular with the people. Bush is not. Heck, Hitler had more popular support when he was elected as the consular. I think it is more likely for a popular president like Clinton to morph into a true dictator than poor Bush. To bad, Clinton had on opportunity to conquer other people or deal with a crisis. Maybe that is why some democrats thought it was bad luck that 911 did not happen Clinton was in the office.

Anyway, we are seeing power being transfered among a small elite group and family. Bush family had two presidents, and looks like Clinton may become the first woman president follow her husband.

Look back at Rome history when it slowly transformed from a republic into an empire, I think the change was unavoidable. The senators cannot solve the social problem because there are so much politic between the senate, consult and the tribune(?forgot the exact term). When a crisis arise, only a general would be able to deal with. When the crisis is long and the general is capable, well, dictator term is extended, rules were bend.

What if rules were not bend? It would mean Rome would not be able to fight back against the Gauls, the Germantic tribes or the celtics. Rome would be destoried. Just look at the war between Cathage and Rome, both had a senate system, if Rome was not brutal at destorying Cathage, I would probably comparing Cathage with the US.

Put Rome into the perpective of history, there was no doubt that Rome system was the best for the time. I think it was able to last for a long time, because it has transformed into an empire.