Thursday, March 25, 2010

Steyn talks to Rot

Take a city like Vienna. Once upon a time it was an imperial capital. The empire busted up, but the capital still had magnificent architecture, handsome palaces, treasure houses of great art, a world-class orchestra, fabulous restaurants . . . who wouldn’t enjoy such “decline”? You benefit from all the accumulated capital of the past without being troubled by any of the tedious responsibilities. Have another coffee and a piece of strudel and watch the world go by.
REGURGE to savor Tecs' and AA's idiotic comments.

15 comments:

Tecumseh said...

Steyn's prediction: American decline will be steeper, faster, and more devastating than Britain’s — and something far closer to Rome’s.

I'm packing up for Rome.

Mr roT said...

The architecture is atrocious. What a bozo.

Tecumseh said...

In Vienna, or in Rome?

Tecumseh said...

Forgetting for a minute about architecture, Herr Straman, how about Steyn's wider point about the Rise and Fall of America? Can you collect your thoughts and focus your mind, laser-like, on this specific issue? Or do you prefer to sip your latte by the side of Lake Leman, untroubled by such peccadilloes?

Mr roT said...

Seems a bit odd. Most historians, starting with Gibbon, put the fall of Rome as the period taking place between the fall of the Republic and the fall of Constantinople.

That's about 1500 years. If Steyn thinks the Habsburgs fell slow and the Romans fell fast, he must be taking into account the acceleration in the pace of history without saying it, or he maybe doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

Mr roT said...

...or the Brits, for that matter.

Tecumseh said...

I thought Rome fell (to the Krauts) in 476, no? I gotta take you on a guided tour of the city, one of these days, and explain some of the finer points of Roman history to you. Of course, you'll have to buy dinner.

Mr roT said...

Now that you're officially a Democrat, why don't you spread that Dirac measure around a bit?

You say you want a convolution...

Arelcao Akleos said...

Any historian who would peg the fall of Rome, i.e. that part of the imperium actually ruled from Rome, as opposed to a city in Asia Minor, as anything close to the fall of Constantinople is a utter Rotter.

Tecumseh said...

Herr Rot, Herr Rot. I think you may have had too much fondue bourguignonne last night, and now you have a bit of trouble processing information on a too-full stomach. I recommend Pepto-Bismol.

Tecumseh said...

AA: We gotta pound on that Rotten statement, and pound hard. Don't let him squirm outta it -- we got him cornered.

Arelcao Akleos said...

But, Tecumseh, if Rotter did have too much fondue bourguignonne won't the pounding make him puke?
Are we not merciful?

Arelcao Akleos said...

Hey, is it Saturday or Sunday that is best for the Pounding of the The Rotter?

Mr roT said...

Meeting up at McDonalds, you schmucks?

Tecumseh said...

Either Sat or Sun is fine with me -- I even have wheels this weekend! Let's see when the weather gets better. Maybe take a walk by the sea first, to work up an appetite?