part two reflections

All the information here in the readings is, of course, a little overwhelming and hard to grasp. Making it even harder to really think of anything to write on. As I begin my reading, I am surprised to find that the fate of our American empire may come to the demise that the Romans faced. He uses this as a point of reference reminding us of the relevance of the distant past to our contemporary world. This begin stated, is he trying to show us that once we acquire too much in an "empire" that it can fall from over consumption? It seems awful to think that this may one day happen. He makes a point though, and that is civilizations were expressed in elements of a common culture rather than in a unified political system. I see now the reason why so many empires were rising and falling in this time. They became encompassed by power rather than culture. The class system had a presence over the people that made it hard to avoid but also made it hard to make a living. The empire wanted so much more of the profit that it neglected the poor people to worked hard for their earnings, yet couldn't keep what was theirs. As we see these cultural conflicts carry a common theme through the chapters, we end at a civilization that seems to be making a come back. I had no idea that there was such a movement to revive the Maya culture. Their struggles throughout centuries, is our modern day Roman Empire, I believe more than our own. Only recently have they become liberated, making a statement that called for the nations attention.