Sapiens
Текст на Статията
- Jake, please don’t tell me you’re seriously going to spend your life savings on a microscopic apartment in NY.
- Um...
- I can.
- Oh, I know that look. You're serious.
- —waking up to the view of the empire state building! Did you know New York was once called the “empire state”? I’ll be living in a city full of great history!
- It’s the melting pot of creativity! The cultural hub of the country! Tell me you can’t resist—
- Jake, you wouldn't be so excited if you know the truth about empires. Have you ever heard of the Numantians? Numantia was a mountain town that threatened Rome's control of the Mediterraneanbasin. To maintain their empire, the Romans encircled the Numantians and cut off their supplies. People starved. After a year, the Numantians burned down their town and most killed themselves to avoid becoming slaves. Empires just mean a lot of slaughter and fear.
- Scipio, I am giving you thirty thousand of our soldiers. Get rid of those Numantians!
- Yes, Sir.
- And wasn't France an empire?
- The empire state building's beautiful architectural design is Art Deco, which originated from France.
- Exactly. And in many empires, imperial elitists used profits from conquering lands to fund humanity's many achievements in art, philosophy, and more.
- Even the Taj Mahal was built thanks to empires.
- True. But even when Indians tried to adapt to the British empire, they had a hard time being accepted as Western people. Empires simply group the conquered together and over time, unique ethnicities and cultures are lost.
- But after the British conquered India, India became united. The British also laid the foundation for India's first judicial system and build railroads. That was important for India's economy.
- —and I forgot to mention that empires usually stable. It's so much easier to stop rebellions.
- Maybe you have a point...
- Which arguments support and refute that claim that empires are evil?
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