***  Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Forum1 Archive  ***
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   [Date]: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 09:30:02 -0400 (EDT)
   [From]: Daniel Schiavone <schiavo@email.com>
     [To]: Cultural Exchange via Internet <forum1@hkw.kbx.de>
[Subject]: Re: The Humberto Nilo Case: This is the tiempo-time

I'd like to point out that the United States is modeled after the Roman Republic. Just look on any US currency. And yes, the US does not have a multi-party system, but there is a communist party in the US and depending on which state you are in they may even show up on the ballet (New York state for example).

I think the "the democracy above the democracies" comment may refer to the amount of freedom in the United States. With the exception of the occasional incident, Americans do enjoy a great deal of freedom. While freedom offers vitality to a society, it also comes at some cost. Hence the chaos, the extremists and the crime. It's a balancing act that every society has to face.

An important concept under the Roman model is the idea of citizenship. Freedom comes at a certain price. Civic duty, public service and a code of behavior protecting other individuals rights and the welfare of the state. The greatest crisis facing the US at the moment is not the absence of freedom but the erosion of the ideas which have allowed us to enjoy such freedoms.