Classicist Thomas F Madden has seen the light. He realized after 9-11 that academics have a larger role to play in society than ivory tower occupiers. Since 9-11 he has consciously striven to help people understand the past and how it can help us determine the context in which we make some monumental decision in the present. While he still writes and publishes for academics, he has included the lay person and politician in his circle and has tried to make ancient history relevant.
Such is the foundation of Empires of Trust--ancient history made accessible. After having taken two years of College Latin and Roman history my understanding of that great civilization was changed forever after finishing Madden's work. He wrote the book mainly out of the misunderstanding of Rome and its empire, which has been used by a flood of writers of late to compare what they see as the decline of the United States' Empire with the corruption and decline of the Roman Empire. For starters, he points out that all comparisons of the US with the late Roman Empire is somewhat of a stretch and much of the material written is absurd. For instance whatever one's feelings about President Bush the comparisons to him and the Roman Caesars is laughable:
"Claiming that President Bush or any other American president is a new Pompey or Augustus is simply the kind of frivolousness to be expected in a time of pax. It sells books and makes for good talk show fodder, but it is historically absurd. The men who overturned the Roman Republic did so by wielding raw military power against their own government. Sending the armed forces to Iraq(after a supporting congressional resolution) is one thing, sending them to Washington DC, is quite another. (p.125)"
Instead Madden argues that the empire the Romans had under the Republic before the Caesars offers better insight into the current American condition. He argues that both Rome and the US possessed and possesses an "Empire of Trust," and empire built on security and protection, not conquest. Contrary to popular myth, the Roman Republic gained an empire first because they did not want one and secondly to secure their "horizon." Because the Romans were distrustful of empire, their conquered enemies, which often became allies did so because they trusted Rome to wield such power responsibly. As they made alliances with people inside and just outside their sphere of influence they pledged to protect them. Thus when an ally was attacked, the Romans fought and further expanded their empire. The US is much the same way: distrustful of concentrated power and empire, but steps into the fray when their allies are threatened or national security warrants it. For the most part, the world has trusted the Untied States with that power. This is why the bulk of NATO's power and might comes from the US and why many nations feel they don't need to build up any armed forces at all, because they trust the US to protect them from any enemies and will not tolerate an attack by their neighbors. This argument is in direct contrast with Robert Kagan's thesis in "The Return of History and the End of Dreams," in which he sees a return to 19th century geopolitics, where neighboring nations militarize and threaten each other to get what they want.
In contrast to Kagan, Madden claims we are in an era of American Peace or Pax. Despite the terrorist problems, which he sees analogous to the Jewish radicals of the Roman Empire (a fight that took a long time to win but was won through understanding the religious nature of the conflict), we are more secure than ever. As a way to measure the peace he points to the anti-Americanism that is rampant throughout much of Europe and the Middle East. Ultimately, people talk bad about the US because they trust the US will use power responsibly. No one in their right mind would say the things that Hugo Chavez or some of the leaders of Europe have said if they really thought the US would use their immense might against them. Therefore the US Empire of Trust is robust because people know the US wields mighty power and they can attack it with words and not be destroyed.
Madden does not claim the US Empire of Trust will last, he doesn't give much advice on how to make it last but simply says that all empires pass away and if we are lucky enough to last as long as the Romans then so be it. Despite Madden's uncertainty about the future of the US, the book has an overall optimistic tone. By looking at that other unique empire in world history, namely the Roman Republican empire, we have reason to be optimistic. One thing is almost certain, that Americans will not give up this empire willingly, it will end out of necessity, not choice.
