I was talking to a friend of my mine today about America. It seems he has a slightly less positive view of the old Star and Stripes than I do. By the end of our conversation I was reminded of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and the scene where they ask, “What has Rome ever done for us?” As funny as this is, I think we have a bad case of the same thing going on in America.
July 1, 2007
What Have The Romans Ever Done For Us…
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That’s hilarious….i had totally forgotten about that.
Comment by — July 1, 2007 @ 7:40 pm
That is funny indeed. Replace Romans with Americans and you’ve got the current state of the world.
Comment by — July 1, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
It’s true that the other (unlinked) video I mentioned applied the argument to the “freedom fighters” and US Government. For the record, I do believe this is an oversimplification.
However, the original point was taken from an unlinked video that asserted that pirates and emperors were basically the same thing, only different sizes. Ok, so emperors aren’t so bad because they give their people aqueducts. But isn’t that basically a reverse ad hominem argument?
A regular ad hominem consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim.
Whereas a reverse ad hominem argument tries to bolster the person rather than attack them, in an attempt to render the substance of the grievance moot.
Comment by — July 1, 2007 @ 10:44 pm
You can see the video in question here. My response was not meant to a polemic against the video, and thus I didn’t feel the need to get into a detailed debate or explanation of my position. All I was trying to point out is that governments are easy targets for complaints, and the benefits of having a “decent” one such as was the case in Rome in and is the case in America are often overlooked.
Comment by — July 2, 2007 @ 8:26 am
You mean you actually believe Rome was a decent government?
Comment by — July 2, 2007 @ 9:26 am
I mean it was the best available government of its era. It certainly fell apart (all all governments tend to do…that whole evil hearts thing), but give the alternatives it was great.
Comment by — July 2, 2007 @ 10:17 am
That’s exactly how I feel about the United States (minus the whole falling-apart-any-time-soon part (if indeed the Lord tarries)). Yet I’m the one who is said to have a slightly less positive view of the old Star and Stripes.
Comment by — July 2, 2007 @ 10:41 am
I’m not saying that you do not appreciate America at all. I am saying that you apparently think the YouTube video is a gas, and correctly explains the state of affairs with America in relation to the rest of the global community. I think the video is simply another installment in the liberal diatribe against America, and a bunch of hooey. I would therefore categorize you as having a “slightly” less positive view of America than myself. Now if we were to discuss the state of Illinois within the United States of America, we would probably have a different discussion.
Comment by — July 2, 2007 @ 11:27 am
America great…Illinois, not so great!
Comment by — July 2, 2007 @ 5:23 pm