Common Sense 322 - Betting on Long Shots

[Smitty-48]

again, there is no bright line between republic and empire, many empires call themselves republics including Rome

Which one is it?

Which one do you wish it was?

And what's your point when you keep going on about maybe it will be a republic and maybe it won't....

It feels like you are being evasive.

Is anyone else confused about this, or am I missing something?

there is no bright line between republic and empire

the modern definition of Empire as per the British Empire, is to possess overseas sovereign territories

the American republic fits that definition, from Guam to Guantanamo

[DrYouth]

I mean if America was unselfconsciously an empire they would simply expand their empire....
Invade Canada, make us their slaves.... do the same to Mexico....
take over North America and make the American Emperor the Divine Ruler of the Continent.
From that land base they would control the seven seas.... no contest.

Maybe you should do it.

It would be a sound Risk Strategy.... unless someone took over all of Europe and Asia y'all would be unbeatable.

But Global Trade prevents that from being a sound strategy in today's world....
Bad PR
Bad Branding

It's bad for business.
Better to win the Trade War than the physical war.... and make all the money.
Which is mostly what you have already done.

China isn't going to beat you at that.
Everyone knows they are bad at business.... beating up their own companies for sport.
Confiscating property.

Certainly Russia and the Slavs aren't in the game much... (sorry C-Mag)

[DBTrek]

I mean if America was unselfconsciously an empire they would simply expand their empire....
Invade Canada, make us their slaves.... do the same to Mexico....

Maybe you should do it.

UK has nukes.
We're not taking Canada.

We don't need syrup that bad.

[Smitty-48]

the Romans did not think of themselves as being an Empire and they did not call themselves that

the "Roman Empire" is rather an invention of the British, centuries later

if you went back to Rome and told them that they were the "Imperium Romanum" that wouldn't make any sense to them

again, that just means "Absolute Power of Rome"

the British took the word "Imperium" and turned that into "Empire"

[DrYouth]

UK has nukes.
We're not taking Canada.

We don't need syrup that bad.

Just take a 100 miles north of the border and you have Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, basically everything we got except tundra, and some prime lumber, fossil fuel and minerals.

[Smitty-48]

I mean if America was unselfconsciously an empire they would simply expand their empire....
Invade Canada, make us their slaves.... do the same to Mexico....

Maybe you should do it.

UK has nukes.

only American nukes, the British don't use their own nukes, they signed an agreement for America to provide their nukes

[DrYouth]

Also why would the UK commit suicide to save Canada....

Because the Queen?



Call that bluff!

Sorry chaps... we would love to help you out... but it's tea time and something else has came up.
Oh, lookie the time... gotto go... ta!

[Smitty-48]

America bears more resemblance to ancient Athens than it does ancient Rome

so America is more of a Greek Hegemon than it is a Roman Imperium

[Smitty-48]

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

[DrYouth]

I thought the Romans were Greeks...

At least keep your Smitty definitions straight.