Common Sense 322 - Betting on Long Shots

[Smitty-48]

the original Romans were Greek soldiers, soldiers of fortune

they were not cultured Greeks, they were low class military veterans

they always prized the Greek culture as the high culture

if you were an educated Roman Patrician, you spoke Greek, you were educated by a Greek tutor

it was a Greek world, the Occident, the Romans started off small, rose slowly to dominate, over centuries

Rome is founded in 753 BC

at this time, Sparta is the dominant military power, Athens is the dominant economic & cultural power, and Greeks are colonizing Italy

[DrYouth]

China is actually more like the Romans

so it's America the Greek Hegemon versus the Chinese Rome which aspires to be an Imperium

the Romans rose to power by copying the Greeks, same as China

the Romans were a thuggish uncivilized version of Greece, same as China is to America

Except unlike Greece

The Americans can whoop China with one are tied behind their back.
Greece couldn't do that to the Romans.

I highly doubt China will be able to handle America militarily at any time in the foreseeable future.
Not unless they invent Nuclear armed Godzilla Killer Robots, like way before you do.
That would be bad.

I mean but really, how would even THAT change anything.

Wait, wait - what about a virus that makes everyone hate everyone else...
Nah... they would never do that.

[Smitty-48]

actually, just like China, the Romans were not that tough at first

they become a major military power by way of the Punic Wars against Carthage in the second century BC

and just like China, Rome is subjected to humiliating occupation for years by a foreign power

Hannibal defeats the Romans at Cannae

then the Carthaginians occupy Italy for fifteen years, and Rome is under siege the whole time

[DrYouth]

I'm trying to follow you here....

So China is Rome and America is Greece....

and Rome, like China is occupied by a foreign power -

Wait - what occupying power occupies China the way Carthage occupied Rome...

Britain and France?


And in the end are you saying China is going to be global hegemon....

Like Rome was to the mediterranean.


This is a confusing metaphor.

[Smitty-48]

another thing that is kind of China like, is that Rome doesn't really have success until they switch to sea power

with Italy occupied, they only have the Port of Ostia to operate from

so the Romans train their Legions to be sailors

and that is when the tide turns

they sail accross the Med and destroy Carthage by amphibious warfare while Carthage has its army in Italy

[SuburbanFarmer]

This is like a game of flashcards with an autistic kid.

[DrYouth]

Just wait...

CHina is going to turn to sea power and whoop your ass bro...

Then you'll wish you studied your flashcards.

[StCapps]

not seeing a Zheng He 2.0 on the horizon

even with China wisely pivoting to sea power

the future is American

not Chinese and not Slavic

[DrYouth]

not seeing a Zheng He 2.0 on the horizon

even with China wisely pivoting to sea power

the future is American

not Chinese and not Slavic

Yes, but will it be the American republic?

[StCapps]

not seeing a Zheng He 2.0 on the horizon

even with China wisely pivoting to sea power

the future is American

not Chinese and not Slavic

Yes, but will it be the American republic?

probably