Essay 3 half draft Oliver Anderson

[Oliver A]

/Volumes/NO NAME/Essay 3.doc

[Oliver A]

Essay 3 Oliver
Anderson
English 101 O’Connell
08/14/08


Chapter four “The Outsiders” of “Are We Rome?” by Cullen
Murphy. Focuses on the US’ view of the rest of the world. Murphy
offers various view points regarding the United States View of the
world. Many have solid insight and some contradict one another. It
could be debated that many people in the United States of America feel
they are inferior and that as Americans they can do what they want and
it will be fine. Simaler to Mark Antony of William Shakespeare
“Antony and Cleopatra” Antony lives life fairly carefree. He spends
his evenings getting wasted and sleeps all morning. He does not take
the invasion of Rome or its politics very seriously. And is even
unaffected when told the news of his wife’s death. The contrary would
be Octavia the sister of Octavius Caesar. An arranged marriage is
made for Octavia and Marc Antony by Agrippa in order to cement the
bond between the two men. Octavia naively beliefs Marc Antony when he
tells her that he will change his adulterous partying ways.

In Murphy’s “Are We Rome?” he states “Anti-American sentiment is by
now a permanent part of the ecosystem, turning up in toxic levels
almost everywhere.” This is somewhat in contradictorily of the
arrogant superior views of self that Murphy compares to Rome. Murphy
does make a strong point though regarding anti-American sentiment.
People who live in the United States of America today feel betrayed by
their country and their president. Citizens feel that it seems
pointless to be proud and patriotic for a government that that
archaists so much death and chaos. Again Contradicting Murphy’s
claims of the United States of America sharing Rome’s arrogance and
superior views of self, People are aware that other countries hate the
United States of America so they will openly share their distaste
their own country.

In President Bush’s college years he well known heavy partying with
drugs and alcohol and it is actually debated if weather or not he was
under the influence during his presidency. This does not stop
President Bush from addressing the country or senate denying such
allegations and sting them as completely ridiculous; still he would
continue to make decisions that would suggest otherwise regarding the
war in Iraq, and the economy, ECT. This is similar to the Marc
Antony. Marc Antony was the main man of the triumviri and a very
trusted leader. The most prominent figure of that era after the death
of Julius Caesar. Yet Antony also liked to drink heavily and sleep
with lots of women. Yet after his arranged marriage to Octavia, he
makes promises to her remain faithful and claims that when he is gone
it will be for important Rome business and even tells her not to pay
attention if she hears rumors suggesting otherwise. When in fact Marc
Antony did in fact go to see Cleopatra while he was married.

Murphy states that “The attitude of Romans toward non-Romans is not
simple, and it’s not one-dimensional” And that it shares familiar
elements with the United States of America. American citizens claim
to see the rest of the world as equally opportunity countries with
helpful resources yet usually don’t want to actually enter that
country unless they cultured sophisticated types. When that is the
case it is debated that it is actually their own arrogance that sub
consciously drives them to wanting to learn of other cultures, because
they feel that they have ‘seen it all’ and return to America offering
alternative ideals and thoughts because they feel they even more
superior than before they went. On the contrary U.S citizens can view
the rest of the world through equal eyes without the arrogance and
superiority complex shared by ancient Rome.