Rome Redux

The first season of Rome will be ending soon on HBO, but you still have a chance to see one of the best series in television history. Once again, HBO redefines the possibilities of television, creating a series with the production value of film but a depth and scope far beyond. Rome blends historical figures and events with fictional minor characters and plotlines, all set against a beautifully rendered ancient cityscape, the cost and complexity of which transcends any series or mini-series of the past. The attention paid to the detail of the period is also extraordinary, giving viewers a unique sense of the daily life of antiquity. In addition, none of the mostly-British actors are recognizable, yet all are absolutely superb and perfectly cast. Beyond the nuts and bolts, Rome’s writers have done a magnificent job of illuminating the political and social themes of the era--tyranny versus democracy, for example--rendering them in fascinating and compelling terms.

Speaking of Rome, our President continues to moan about pre-war intelligence, claiming that the Senate saw the same intelligence he saw. But as any grade school student knows, the Executive Branch has access to the deliberative process that both shapes intelligence and draws conclusions, while the Legislative Branch does not.

So yet again, the President sounds like a whiny child trying to convince people that he didn’t steal a cookie from the cookie jar even though his face is smeared with chocolate. The remaining crumbs of his credibility get even smaller.

Meanwhile, we have no specific nor comprehensive strategy for withdrawal from Iraq. Our seniors are going to stay away from the new Medicaid Drug Plan because it is a botched loser. Our healthcare system is a pathetic disgrace. Our deficit and trade imbalance continue to bloat beyond comprehension. Our military prisons continue to violate basic human rights. Our environment continues to be ravaged by grotesque and disastrous giveaways like Mountaintop Mining. Our science-based agencies like the FDA continue to make decisions based on politics, not on expert testimony or evidence.

Thank you, Emperor Bush. You will likely go down in history as an inept, small-minded, out-of-touch President with disastrous policies and bad judgment. And the Senators who backed you will either be thrown out by the citizenry or will turn on you.

If you’ve been watching Rome, this should sound familiar.