I'm looking forward to Chalmers Johnson's new book


These days, he isn't writing about East Asia as much as the consequences of U.S. foreign policy, first in Blowback:The Costs and Consequences of American Empire, and the soon to be released The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic.. This has the look of a excerpt from the new book. And it gives me pause. Because he looks at history, and asks "What do we do after we've thrown the current crop of bastards out?"

The Scourge of Militarism: Rome and America
The collapse of the Roman republic in 27 BC has significance today for the United States, which took many of its key political principles from its ancient predecessor. Separation of powers, checks and balances, government in accordance with constitutional law, a toleration of slavery, fixed terms in office, all these ideas were influenced by Roman precedents. John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams often read the great Roman political philosopher Cicero and spoke of him as an inspiration to them. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, authors of the Federalist Papers, writing in favor of ratification of the Constitution signed their articles with the name Publius Valerius Publicola, the first consul of the Roman republic.

The Roman republic, however, failed to adjust to the unintended consequences of its imperialism, leading to a drastic alteration in its form of government. The militarism that inescapably accompanied Rome's imperial projects slowly undermined its constitution as well as the very considerable political and human rights its citizens enjoyed. The American republic, of course, has not yet collapsed; it is just under considerable strain as the imperial presidency -- and its supporting military legions -- undermine Congress and the courts. However, the Roman outcome -- turning over power to an autocracy backed by military force and welcomed by ordinary citizens because it seemed to bring stability -- suggests what might happen in the years after Bush and his neoconservatives are thrown out of office.


Go print out the whole article, and take your time to read it through all of the Roman history and the parallels.

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