essay 3

[KENYA P.]

i apologize for it being very late.

Kenya Pineda
Instructor: O’Connell
Section:#0459
December 20, 2008
Essay 3
In Cullen Murphy’s Are We Rome? , he explains how Rome’s view of self
became one of their weak points and eventually leads them to their
demise and fall of the Roman Empire. Murphy explains that in the
Teutoberg Forest, there were three regions that were controlled and
commanded by a man by the name of Publius Quinctillus Varus. These
three regions in the Teutoberg Forest had suffered a very embarrassing
defeat after the Germans tricked and beaten them. The battle was one
that brought on the deaths of 30,000 people, and Cullen Murphy states
that the defeat was brought upon the Romans because of their view of
themselves and their view of others. The Romans believed they were
everlasting and top-quality compared to other countries. The Romans
showed such conceitedness when they demonstrated such surprise that
“barbarians” or the so-called uncivilized, unintelligent Germans
couldn’t have possibly defeated them because they are so weak, dim-
witted and unsophisticated. A good comparison to this could be found
in William Shakespeare’s 1970 Anthony and Cleopatra in which Anthony
is seen as this all powerful and mighty ruler. He conquered many
battles and fought bravely among his men; he was seen as a hero to
all, but his army soon lost faith in him when he allowed himself to be
ensnared and lured by Cleopatra, he Queen of Egypt, and her seducing
ways. By being so caught up with Cleopatra, he neglected his duties as
a leader and began to abandon and overlook the needs of his armies.
When he left with Cleopatra to Alexandria, he left his wife to fight
the war all on her own when it was his duty and responsibility to
fight this war. Cleopatra continued to take advantage of Anthony. When
Anthony went to war with Octavius, he was told to fight by land
because he’d have the advantage, but didn’t listen. He thought that if
Octavus dared to fight by sea he would initiate on that action.
Octavius had a very good marine army, on that was far more superior
than Anthony's army. When Anthony underestimated the army and went to
war with them, he went with Cleopatra at his side with her army, and
she fled. He did not expect Octavius’ army to be so good and also he
didn’t expect Cleopatra to bail on him. He underestimated everything
and continued to underestimate things. Cleopatra would go to war with
her army and with Anthony but then fled and backed out making Anthony
look to be a coward. Every time she would do something that upset
Anthony, he just forgave her because he believed he loved her and she
loved him. He would put the needs of Cleopatra and her love before
anything, and in turn underestimating everything and not thinking
logically. In the United States, many people underestimate the power
and intelligence of the many foreign countries. A lot of people are
not aware of the abilities that these countries have and we
underestimate them excessively. Not only do the people of the United
States underestimate foreign countries, but we think too highly of
ourselves and believe we are rulers of everything. We believe that we
are a lot more superior to other countries and that we can rule over
them. This idea is completely and utterly wrong, but it’s these kinds
of thoughts that will lead the United States to their demise just like
Rome. And these are the ideas and opinions that Americans have and
won’t let go of. It is these ideas that will be expanded and further
explained.
Murphy believes that one factor that may contribute to our fall is
“our lack of awareness of the rest of the world” which is extremely on
point. On September 11 of 2001, there were a series of coordinated
suicide attacks by al- Qaeda upon the United States. On that Morning,
nineteen Islamist terrorists who were in affiliation with al- Qaeda
hijacked four commercial airplanes. The hijackers deliberately crashed
into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. This
tragedy killed everyone on those planes and many people who were in
the buildings or in the area of the crash. After 9/11, many US
citizens were in shock. Not in a million years would the United States
have believed that they would be attacked by terrorists in their own
country. The States believes that they are so powerful and that there
is essentially a comic book force field around the country so that
nobody can get in to harm us, but we have to get rid of these childish
ideas and think logically. The United States is just like every other
country, we have our citizens who fear war, and our reasons to start
war, but nothing we do makes us better than any other country. If we
become too conceited and we become too cocky, then we will become like
Anthony from William Shakespeare’s novel. Anthony was a great ruler,
fighter, and commander, but when he became affiliated with Cleopatra,
he began to neglect his duties. He began to drink and went off with
Cleopatra to Alexandria. He left his wife to fight the war and
believed she would be able to do it. He underestimated the power of
the enemy countries and that is one reason as to why he failed. He
underestimated the foreign countries as the United States is doing.
There have been many terrorist attacks upon the United States, but we
always become completely in awe when we do get attacked by a foreign
due to the fact that we don’t give other countries enough credit. We
essentially consider them barbarians like the Romans considered their
enemies. In Cullen Murphy’s book, he explains how the Romans believed
the Germans were barbarians and when the Germans attacked and
overpowered the three legions of Teutoberg Forest, which was under the
command of Publius Quinctillus Varus. He underestimated the Germans
and lost, and that’s what we as a country are doing.
An article written by Siv O'Neall entitled “Does the United States
produce a Superior Breed of People?” explains how humans all over the
world see each other and fight to be the powerful one. “Give a person
some strength and he will want more. Give him some power and he will
want more. Give him some wealth and he will want more.” That is the
idea that the United States has bases man things upon. If you give a
person in the United States just a bit of power, then they would want
more; the same with strength and wealth. If you give a person anything
that gives them superiority over anybody, then the greed will get to
them and begin to rot them inside out. They will become power hungry
and just continue to want more and more and more.
If we continue on the same path, I fear we will have the same result
as Rome did; failing and falling as a country all because of our own
fault for problems that could’ve been fixed. A new perspective and
respect for other countries is all that is needed to alter our course.
The actions that we are currently taking demonstrate actions that the
Romans took before they fell, so you can only foresee that the
Americans are going to fall as well.
Americans see themselves as an amazingly grand country, but we
aren’t. There are many other countries are advanced in their own ways.
By having a view of yourself as superior as and better than all the
rest, you in turn destroy your country. That’s what the United States
has begun to do, and you can see the effects taking place. Racism is
one example; thinking your race is superior to others. Another example
is the greediness of children and their ideas that material items are
a lot more important than other things. The “I have this toy and you
don’t so you can’t hang out with me” idea. That if somebody isn’t as
up to date as others or doesn’t have the newest iPod or newest game
then they are shunned from society and won’t be approved by others.
The only permanent way to change that is to change our way of thinking
from the source. Change how the children think because they are the
future generation of this country. If we can teach them things like
everybody is equal and that everybody is the same then we can begin to
change the country. By changing the ideas that corrupt our country we
can begin to change our country for the better. Teaching people to
appreciate other cultures is a good way to change. Giving them an
understanding of the other cultures and giving them the tools to
realize that we are all united is the only true and permanent way of
changing.