When In Ramallah

I’m writing on this one behind the curve because it took a while to get that VP spin on it that keeps you coming back. Weakly researched, but sitll OK.

(Ahem.)

Rome, as the saying goes, was a warlike state.

By today’s standards, the Roman Empire would be an international pariah. Think Spain catches hell for bullfighting? Imagine the outrage today over gladiator games. The inviolability of international borders? Nah. Rome would send in the Legions without getting permission from anyone.

Slavery. Any Roman of position held a slave or nine — often for sex. And the sex! Men, women, children, horses. Admit it — you’ve seen the unrate version of Caligula. And you can forget about women’s rights, too. Rome, for all its wonders, was, in today’s terms, a vicious, bloody, sometimes barbarous place.

For all that, Rome was far more civilized — by modern standards — than Palestine.

Sending their sons off to fight the barbarian Goths, Roman mothers said, “Return with your shield, or upon it.” Meaning: Either come back dead, or come back brave, but don’t come back if you drop your shield and run.

Palestinian mothers, sending their sons off to kill babies, smile safe in the knowledge that their strong young sons will soon be reduced to atoms. On purpose.

Now that’s real barbarism.