Book Review of "Empire of Trust" Written by Thomas F Madden

Title: Empires of Trusteconomics. U.S. is also after the fall of the Berlin Wall
How Rome built -And America Is building- a Newand especially 9/11 event could become more United
Worldand powerful.
Author: Thomas F. MaddenThe threat of terrorism:
Publisher: Dutton editionTerrorism is caused by the American foreign policy,
Year: 2008when for over 7years America has been occupying
Pages: 336the Muslim sacred lands, humiliating it's people,
ABOUT THE BOOKplundering its reaches and terrorizing it's neighbors. So
INTRODUCTION:Talban and Al-Qaeda have blamed such American
This book explores the similarities and differencespolicy and began to fight U.S. During Roman Empire,
between the ancient Roman Republic and UnitedJews terrorists targeted them, and their basic aim was
States of America.to make Roman Empire go out of their sacred lands
It mentions that Rome was actually not a ruthlessand could spread their religion to the whole World, But
empire of conquest built by conquering legions and vainRoman Empire's responsibility to secure all allies doesn't
Caesars but an agrarian -based republic with anallow her to make Jews free in their decisions. so it
isolationist desire to be left alone by the outside world.wanted from Jews to adapt themselves with Roman
Both states built the rarest from of empire, an empireEmpire's laws, like U.S. today that has said Islam should
of trust. This empire made up of free states boundinterpret it's holly law within a modern, rather than a
together into alliances, was based on the wide-spreadmedieval context. And because of this, American's
trust that the allies had in responsible use of militaryhope is to win over this war Finally and believes that
force by the dominate power.Islam will no longer contains the elements to support it.
Both Rome and U.S. were distrustful of concentratedToday most of the Americans are optimistic about the
power in the world, so, they built an empire on securityfuture, they know that this road is not an easy path.
and trustworthy which their people inside or outside ofThey believe that, there will always be challenges,
the sphere of their influence, trusted them. And this ismore wars, more bloodshed and more disunity, so far
why many nations today feel they don't need to buildthey have achieved their goal such as security for
up any armed forces, because they trust U.S. tothemselves, their allies and its horizon.
protect them from enemies.At last Madden says that we may not be able to see
CHAPTER REVIEWSthe end of the road for America but it's direction
First chapters (1-7)seems clear enough to follow Roman's path with
Madden lay out 3 types of empires:taking lessons of it's failures and wrong doings.
1)empires of conquestSTRENGTHS AND INTERESTING POINTS
2)empires of commerce1) While Madden is an academic history writer, he has
3)empires of trusttried to make ancient history relevant to the political
In the first empires, military power rules over andevents and not only does he scribe the ancient past
control the world like Mongols/Persians and Turks.but makes it immediately useful for understanding
Empires of commerce are interested only in securingturbulent present.
enough of a political foothold rather than political control2) Unlike popular myth and wrong attitude to the
or tribute.Example are British and Dutch empire. TheseRoman and U.S. empire, Madden has argued that both
empires intended to carry on their commerce byRome and U.S. possessed and possesses an "empire
enforcing enough stability in the surrounding area.of trust " which has built on security and protection not
But book focus is on empires of trust as Madden inconquest. Rome was not a society bent on spreading
page(5) explains that:"many people have an image ofits influence as far as it could through military service, in
the Romans as brutal conquers which does not reflectfact like the United states, it was an isolationist culture
the actual dynamics at all". But it was actually thatthat preferred alliances to the use of force and was
"rejection" that made the Romans seem trustworthypushed reluctantly into empire building by the desire to
to others that formed the basis of their empire of trust.defend itself and its friends.
The Madden in other first few chapters talks about3) This book doesn't want to convince that the U.S.
Roman culture and history which led it to become aempire is a good thing or that is fundamentally
world power. The cultural values that he mentions are:peace-seeking (because it isn't always ) but rather to
household as the essential social building block, andget you think seriously about world affairs and not to
ideal of small farmer citizen-statesman, emphasis onfall into shallow intellectual ruts.
martial skill and duty, distrustful of kingship and absolute4) As some authors such as (Joseph J. Ellis, Pulitzer
rule and the desire to expand the horizon in order toprize winning author of "Founding brothers" and Nail
make it safe towards invasion.Ferguson author of the "Ascent of money " and
Rome in 390 BC was the greatest military power inProfessor of History at Harvard university ) mentions,"
central Italy. when "Gaulic" invasion threatened Rome,this book is a new approach to America and it's
she decided to form tight alliances with neighbor statessimilarity to the Rome empire Which cause to
and so "The Latin League of city states " was builtappreciate what we (American) really are because it
which provided all alliances security towardsasks us to contemplate the invisible and often
enemies.This Latin league fielded a strong joint militaryunconscious dynamic that transforms some nations
force, but because of the Rome's power oninto empires, often against their will, he doesn't want to
confederation, some allies rebelled.say we are Rome but he explains how American
After civil war in 340 BC and Rome's victory, theconstitution and military service was influenced by
"Latin league" re-accepted them as allies withRoman service"
independent local government, thus Rome could5) Madden actually shows that Roman Republic uphold
develop her unity whereas different levels ofhigh moral standards in dealing with defeated enemies
independence was given to allies governing in states:and brought stability and the rule of law. Both Rome
"The closest Latin towns would receive Romanand America ended up the role of policemen in the
citizenship with full voting rights and the right to run forworld and they become global authorities that other
roman offices, Although they maintained local statepowers trusted and looked to for guidance.
governments, the big decisions for the region were6) Madden doesn't say that U.s empire will be last
mad in Rome. "Others, particularly non-Latin allies, wereforever, but he believers all empires will pass away but
given citizenship without voting rights. The lowest rungthe point is if they could last as long as the Romans,
were "equal allies " who were not citizens, but could dothen so be it.
business with Romans, approval."(p 75)MY CRITICISM
This alliance can be close o the united states in 20thI think whereas there are some events that repeat in
and 21th century and recent events. for example inhistorical process but even they have lots of similarities
1990, Iraq invades Kuwait which was a minorthrough different eras, we can not definitely say, they
American ally, so The U.S. leads a large coalition inare the same. (The author hasn't say so of course )
liberating Kuwait.The U.S. invades both Afghanistan (tobut when he believes that Islam should be more
prevent al-Qaida terrorism) and Iraq and attempts tomoderate and adapt it self with the United States' aim
turn them into independent alliedto gain security for itself and allies (like Jews in Roman
governments.However this event, increased tensions inEmpire), it should be mentioned that the context of
the neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan if theyIslamic discourse is much different from Jewish ones.
had to be overthrown by an anti-U.S. faction resulting inAnd religious terrorism that exists today isn't related to
war there.Islam as a whole ideology but it is a deviation from the
The last chapters (8-11):essence of Islam. therefore "terrorism " is not a Islamic
Madden in these chapters asks this question:"Has theproblem it is a new form of anomy which needs to
United states reached the level of power that Romeresolve in its social mechanism. However I am not pro
had achieved by 146 BC? Then he answers:"yes". Hethis book prediction about the future of peaceful U.S.
says today, the American Empire of Trust is still tooand Islamic flexibility to join to Americans' allies
young to be compared with final Rise of the Romanbecause terrorism and ideology of islam are mutually
Empire but it is still superpower. And to achieve Paxexclusive.
(peace) it is necessary to have an extraordinary levelI RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO:
of power.1)Any who is interested in history of western civilization
Roman Empire after the fall of the Macedonian2)Those who likes historical comparative approaches
Kingdom became the great power in both military andin analyzing new events of contemporary U.S.