Comments on: What’s Next — Dreaming of Mussolini?

By: Xealot

Xealot — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:18:06 +0000

Diocletian wasn’t really a “Roman” emperor. Rome as we think of it died in the crisis of the third century. What emerged was the precursor to the Byzantine Empire. Though Constantine would go on record as the founder of that state, it was Diocletian who set those wheels in motion.

It was an old-style Eastern state in the mold of the old Persian Empires, where the ruler was a God, or the appointee of God. Only the facade was Roman, and even that wore away eventually. Byzantium gave birth to the Russian Empire through contacts in the 9th – 15th centuries. It was the land of the Czars (a title they inherited from Byzantium) whose architecture, culture, titles and even names were distinctly Byzantine. That, in turn, gave way to Communism. Always, the divine right of Kings was there until simply replaced by the “will of the party.”

One might say Diocletian was the first Communist dictator or at the very least is the first man on the road that lead to that sort of thing. He was one of the first to realize that it is possible to bankrupt a country, enslave its citizenry and still be hailed as a great man by idiots millenia later.

Violet dreams of the same, only with a great Feminist replacing the traditionally male dictator. The evolution of stupidity continues.

By: Rick Caird

Rick Caird — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:08:28 +0000

In the end, Violet is arguing that, somehow, she can remake government into her image of what government should be. But, she seems blithely unaware that her image could be turned against her because, by definition, she is giving her image of government even more power than it has now.

Rick

By: Elliot

Elliot — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:59:05 +0000

Hey, Vandagriff;
Enough static (couldn’t resist). The Mein Kampf of the new century will be written by those on trial in New York for their actions on 9/11. Stay tuned.

By: G.G. Vandagriff

G.G. Vandagriff — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:44:55 +0000

Fascinating! I began my novel The Last Waltz (http://last-waltz.com)about the decline and fall of the Austrian Empire and Austria’s descent into fascism 40 years ago. I finally grew up enough to finish and publish it this year. Little did I know that it would actually prove to be topical. When we’re searching for a hero to rescue us, we have to make really certain we know his/her agenda. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf for crying out loud.

By: perlhaqr

perlhaqr — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:23:32 +0000

Given that the timeline for ensoulment of the fetus is still, as yet, subject to debate, you are assuming facts not in evidence when you claim that abortion is “killing someone”.

As for your question: your desire to punish people for engaging in behaviour you find distasteful is just as obnoxious as when anyone else does it. Imposing your values on others when those people aren’t harming anyone (and consensual sex certainly doesn’t count) is just the same statist crap that gets us where we are today.

By: the other coyote

the other coyote — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:47:50 +0000

DrTorch beat me to it, but I’ve got to second the statement.

perlhaqr said:
Why the hell does everyone have this stupid idea that they should be allowed to tell other people how to behave if they aren’t harming anyone?

Um, isn’t killing someone harming them?

Question back to you: Why the hell does everyone have this stupid idea that they should be allowed to screw anybody they want whenever they want without taking any responsibility for their actions or bearing any consequences?

As my grandma used to say, play with fire, you gonna get burned.

By: bushworlda

bushworlda — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:31:48 +0000

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By: SB7

SB7 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:10:52 +0000

Certainly since Augustus, the Empire had been ruled autocratically, but there were checks on the Emperor’s power, not the least of which was the fact that the Empire simply didn’t have the bureaucracy or communications for real command and control governance. Further, the Emperors had at least maintained a facade, and sometimes a reality, of being a servant of the people – calling themselves Princeps , or something like the “first man.”

Domitian also abandoned use of Princeps, stopped paying even cursory lip service to the authority of the Senate, declared the seat of government to be wherever he personally was, etc. Things got turned back towards the Rule of Law under the Five Good Emperors enough that Diocletian got to thoroughly screw things up again, though.

By: Dr.D

Dr.D — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:42:57 +0000

“I think of Diocletian whenever I contemplate the political mess in this country.”

Sounds like she is right in tune with Rahm Emmanuel, Axelrod, and even the Liar in Chief. That is the sort of thinking they all reflect, whether they bother to express it in those terms or not.

By: DrTorch

DrTorch — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:51:48 +0000

Some referenced this lecture a few months ago, if it was from this board, please take due credit.
It’s particularly appropos.

http://mises.org/story/3663

perlhaqr:
Why the hell does everyone have this stupid idea that they should be allowed to tell other people how to behave if they aren’t harming anyone?

If you’re talking about abortion, it most certainly is guaranteed to harm at least one person. QED.