[rayiner]

“Failure to integrate” is one way to describe the Goths sacking Rome. But I agree the barbarians did them in at the end. My point was that the Iran fiasco is more like the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where Rome backed off after taking a beating. That didn’t mark a transition away from Empire, simply a retreat after a military loss.

[shakna]

And my point, is the current administration is closer to Caligula and Nero, than they are to Varus. You see this as nothing more than another blip in a long history. I see unstable and dangerous individuals getting standing ovations for failure.

"I don't care if they respect me so long as they fear me." - Caligula.

[constantius]

Teutoburg wasn't a battle but an ambush, and Rome killed almost everyone involved in the next years. This didn't represent a retreat: Germans weren't conquered because they had nothing to conquer.

Rather, hopefully, Iran will be to the US what Turks were to Byzantium.

[modo_mario]

>is one way to describe the Goths sacking Rome

To be fair they had been in the empire for a good amount of years at that time if i remember well. ...so when comparing to other previous influxes that did get integrated and/or assimilated it does seem apt.

[rvba]

The Iran fiasco is Suez Canal 2.0

[arethuza]

Did you mean the 1956 Suez Crisis?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis