Letter to the editor: Political instability, elections in the Roman Empire

The letter using a comparison of America today to Edward Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” is a bridge too far (“Trump and Hitler? No comparison,” Feb. 9, TribLive). The writer cites “political instability” and lack of confidence in elections?

First, there were no elections in the Roman Empire, and if there is lack of confidence, at whose feet do we lay this? Election deniers?

The writer cites “shifting wealth” to the Eastern Roman Empire. It was still the empire and a vibrant part of the Roman Empire long before the capital became Constantinople. Hardly shifting wealth to China!

The writer cites “inflation” in Rome and America today; it began during the worst of the covid epidemic, and both presidents’ administrations poured money into saving the economy, so this can’t be dumped on the current president.

Most historians acknowledge Gibbon’s history as an epic endeavor, but seriously flawed, including the blame placed on Christians, and Gibbon’s antisemitism. A nice try to finish a cogent rebuttal with a solid quote from Alexander Pope, but soiled with the letter-writer’s insensitive remark about wrist tattoos, an offensive reference to the inked tattooed numbers on concentration camp inmates, Jews and non-Jews.

I stand by my original letter (“Learn from Hitler’s rise to power,” Jan. 25, TribLive) and can only conclude the rebuttal letter only reinforces and confirms my thesis: Trump is a bad choice for president.

D’Anthony Kennedy

Plum