The sentiment of the European public is probably representative of the rest of the world, except for perhaps a few Arab countries. Even there, despite the Sunni-Shia divide and reciprocal ethnic cleansing, Iran still managed to win brownie points among Arab publics. Tehran’s defiance of Washington and its support for Hamas and Hezbollah was instrumental in this. Nevertheless, Iranians themselves have different ideas about the conduct of their leadership, or at least their president.

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One can do without the mechanical comparisons and contrasts between Rome and America presented in the book. To compare and contrast two realities that are separated not just by centuries but also by the differences in conceptualization that these centuries represent can be misleading. As it is to ignore the ethical framework in which these empires, or any social or political reality, exists and bases its understanding of itself on. Murphy’s own presentation of the fates of the words “suffragium” and “franchise” already speaks volumes about the importance of context and meaning.

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The U.S. Congress has no moral authority to pass judgment on any other country’s history, particularly with its Iraqi invasion record in public view – nor does any other parliament or political body, for that matter. History cannot be legislated and politicians ought to stay away from trying to do so. It is not their duty.

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