A Brief Look at the Juvenal’s “Bread & Circuses”
We use a number of phrases, proverbs or cliches in our everyday life to add emphasis to our speech. Many of them come from important events or people in history. Countries with rich histories have provided many figures of speech with great meanings that are still in...
What is the Rubicon and Why is it Important?
When it comes to wars, there is an event that starts the first battle. With the Trojan War, it was the abduction of Helen by Paris. The Civil War began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter by the Confederate forces. On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland; two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany, and World War II began. And with Caesar, it was crossing the Rubicon. The Rubicon was a river that marked the border between Gaul (a Roman province, extending south of the Alps) and Italy proper. Much like General George Washington crossing the Delaware River, Caesar’s crossing the Rubicon had great meaning. This event launched a civil war, eventually the loss of representative government, and the establishment of the Roman Empire.
Our Obsession With Tall Buildings
In my previous blog, Our Obsession with Walls, I gave a few examples of famous walls constructed for political reasons. The walls were built to protect borders and were symbols of power. Like walls, tall buildings are symbols of power and wealth. They are examples of a country’s engineering abilities, but also could be seen as a form of intimidation. The taller the building, the more amenities and structural details it has. There are also bragging rights as to who had the tallest building, which may be attributed to the building owner’s ego. Below are a few historic buildings that were built to represent cultural significance and power.
U.S. vs. Iran:
Iran’s Military Arsenal The psychology of Persia/Iran towards new types of weapons has shown remarkable consistency over many centuries, from the middle ages to the present. Two attitudes can be clearly defined: First, there is an initial disdain for new...
The Logistics of War with Iran:
The Population of Iran & Its Military Forces The history of military recruitment, together with Iran’s current demographic profile, may be the least considered factors in US government decision-making for going to war. The current US threat of war with Iran...
U.S. vs. Iran:
Is the United States Prepared for War with Iran? There have been four recent incidents with Iran (1988, 2002, 2015, and 2019), which demonstrate quite clearly that the United States is not adequately prepared for a long, military engagement with Iran. January 1988 The...
Why War With Iran Would Be Catastrophic
Iran has 2,500 years of experience with war. History of Unconventional Tactics and the First Perpetual War The US administration has been escalating its military presence in the Middle East as a result of Iran’s attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf in May 2019. With...
Our Obsession with Walls
Dating back to ancient Greece and China, there have been walls constructed to keep foreigners out and citizens in. Government leaders claim the building of these walls was necessary to secure their borders, especially during times of political change. One cannot deny...
Ways Ancient Rome has Influenced Today’s World
Learning from the past will help shape our future. There have been many variations of this quote. And it’s true. Take a look at the ancient civilizations that created products and services that we still use today. From ancient Greece, we have alarm clocks and water...
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