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Are We Rome? But First, Let Me Tweet About It

Rome and America are obviously very different places and you can make a lot of facile
comparisons between these places, remarked author Cullen Murphy in an interview regarding
his book Are We Rome? In his novel, Murphy makes six parallels between the U.S. and ancient
Rome highlighting the astonishing similarities between the two empires. Despite his extensive
research and thorough explanations however, two of his parallels seem to stem from his own
personal opinion without taking into account the perspective of Americans who come from
different backgrounds. In the year 2014, the majority of Americans are not old white males and
therefore, some of his parallels are not apt for this current time. Then again, his book was
published in 2007 and a lot has changed in the past eight years.
One of the greatest changes in the U.S. since 2007 has been the outburst of social media.
Now it is possible to receive instant updates on world events no matter where one is or what one
is doing. With Twitter, one can learn about world news instantaneously and any person with a
smart phone can find out anything from the unrest in the Middle East to the current score of the
World Cup. The average American is surrounded by the media: one can watch the news while at
the gym, read the New York Times and BBC News while riding the subway and like
international news organization on their Facebook page to receive live statuses. True, not every
American actively chooses to invest their time in these ways, but it seems nearly impossible to
avoid the media and world news. It is Cullens parallel that Americans are ignorant of the
outside world. Yet the widespread prevalence of social media, especially among the youth
refutes Cullens argument. More than eighty percent of American teenagers use social media
sites (Smith and Beaton). In certain cases, Cullens generalization may be true, but the overall
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prevalence of social media and technology makes it difficult to not know whats happening in
the world.
Not only did Cullen miss the influx of social media and its power to educate among the
younger generation, but Cullens argument also falls short when he draws the parallel between
the borders of both the U.S. and Rome. In the interview Cullen remarked, Romans didnt seal
the border but embraced others as Romans. Many white Americans would agree with Cullen
here when he explains that Americans, like Romans, welcome people of all backgrounds and
accept them as Americans. I would love to agree with Cullen and the nobility of the American
Dream and the melting pot of races but Cullen glorifies the truth. We may not have an iron
gate around our border as mentioned in Gary Kamiyas review of Cullens book but it seems as
if we have something close enough. The American-Mexican border is secured tightly with
barbed wire fences, double layer walls, and border patrols while Congress has designated $1.2
billion dollars for further construction of the barrier (Suau). It seems that America is to the point
where the border could be considered a war zone. Once inside, Mexicans, as well as nearly all
people of color must live in a society that systematically discriminates against them. When
looking at colleges, jobs opportunities, family incomes and poverty, heath care and education
people of color fall below the average white American (Krueger, Rothstein, and Turner). These
people, plagued with choosing the other bubble for race, must live in a society that does not
always embrace them as fellow Americans. As a person of color who has experienced the social
discrepancies, I know that if Rome was as accepting of outsiders as Cullen suggests, then the
U.S. and Rome are very different places indeed.
Cullen beautifully illustrates the parallels between the U.S. and Rome, yet it is unrealistic to
answer yes to the question Are we Rome? Cullen himself never answers his own question in
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his book or interview but craftily dances around the details with educated assertions (Kamiya).
Human civilization has changed over time so greatly that despite certain parallels, the U.S. will
not be the Roman Empire. True, in certain ways like embracing others as Americans, the U.S.
could be more like the Roman Empire, and could possibly prevail for just as long. Yet in other
ways, the advancement of our society has improved so greatly that the Roman Empire could
never have dreamed of reaching such heights.

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Works Cited
"Are We Rome." YouTube. YouTube, 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 July 2014.
Kamiya, Gary. "Are We Rome? Salon.com RSS. Salon.com, 7 June 2007. Web. 13 July 2014.
Krueger, Alan, Jesse Rothstein, and Sarah Turner. "Race, Income, and College in 25 Years: The
Continuing Legacy of Segregation and Discrimination." NBER. The National Bureau of
Economic Research, 1 June 2005. Web. 12 July 2014.
Smith, Aaron, and Meredith Beaton. "Teens, Social Media, and Privacy." Pew Research Centers
Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 21 May 2013. Web. 13 July 2014.
Suau, Anthony. "The Great Wall of America - Photo Essays." Time. Time Inc., 1 Jan. 2014.
Web. 13 July 2014.