Soooooo many things wrong here. You think I would be smart and maintain my silence, but I guess I feel like banging my head against the wall.
To begin:
Hasbinbad: you are correct. This is fear-mongering at the least (though perhaps not borderline racist), and is rhetorical manipulation of emotion in its most basic form (clearly, EVERYTHING that afflicts American society today is the result of the fact that most Americans are lazy, and have lost their basic appreciation for the values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - or so this commercial wishes to convince us. Poverty, racism, corruption in the public sector and rampant personal materialism in the private sector, not to mention a cultural lifestyle of "conspicuous consumption", are merely pure coincidences and have
nothing to do with the issues at hand). However: NOTHING is comparable to Nazi Germany's treatment of the Jewish people at any point. The very comparison itself is a rhetorical trap that diminishes
both the argument it is used to support as well as the experience of the Shoah. Your command of language and your general reasoning skills (in past, unrelated posts) demonstrate that you're too smart to fall into such a trap (and I really do mean that with great respect).
All that being said: this commercial has been running on US TV for over 6 months - have you only just seen it?
Impact: In 49 BCE Julius Ceasar, against the direct order of the Senators of the Roman Republic, crossed the Rubicon River with the intent of marching on Rome and overthrowing the Senate in order to establish a personal dictatorship (an attempt ultimately thwarted by his assassination at the hands of Marcus Brutus, etc.). His grandson and heir Octavian (who re-named himself Augustus) was ultimately able to establish the dictatorship of Rome (or rule by a sole ruler) in 27 BCE. Either of these two dates is generally used to mark the establishment of the Roman Empire.
Throughout the 4th century the various Caesars established the practice of breaking the administration of the Empire into regions, effectively creating a "Western Roman Empire" and "Eastern Roman Empire". History considers the "fall" of the Western Empire to have occurred in 476 CE (when the then Emperor was forced to abdicate). The Eastern Empire (generally referred to as the Byzantine Empire) lasted until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE (thereby inspiring a
jazz standard). The Roman Republic, which preceded both, commenced in c. 508 BCE.
This means, you ignorant ass, that the Roman Empire lasted either 500 or 1,500 years (depending on how you measure it), and the rule of the SPQR (the "Senatus Populusque Romanus" or "Senate and People of Rome") is considered to have lasted approx. 2,000 years. Most notably NOT the 200 years you would claim.
Harrison, there are times you make me feel ashamed that I live in the Commonwealth of MA with you (when the Commonwealth isn't managing to make me feel that way on its own). The Okinawans themselves were invaded by the Japanese many times, and are no more from Japan than you and I are from California. Further, in the light of both the devastation that has recently afflicted the Japanese, and their extremely peaceful and positive response to it (do you realize that there have been NO incidents of looting reported in the aftermath of the tsunami/earthquake??), your ignorant and despicable comment serves only to justify the contempt that so many members of this community hold you in.
Gorgetrapper: on the basis of that comment alone, you sir, should be deeply ashamed. Beyond that, someone should punch you squarely in the nose.
I've no doubt that this rant will produce some cutting, intelligent, and extensively well-thought out rebuttals, mostly consisting of some witty remarks such as "tl;dr" and comments about my personal conduct and/or sexual preferences. To which I most politely and endearingly suggest: go screw yourselves.
