My Thoughts

I'm really sick of hearing that history measures a civilization by how it treats the old and the infirm. It's quaint and noble and I wish it were the standard, but it is hogwash. Nothing could be further from the truth. No one cares that Egypt built the pyramids with the lives of untold numbers of slaves; it's a tourist destination. No one cares that Rome was brutal to its enemies and literally left its own unwanted babies at the dump; we marvel at their engineering and use Latin in the sciences. No one cares that the British Empire kept its poor in rags; we dress up a child like Tiny Tim each Christmas for entertainment. History remembers who you conquered, what you built, and the arts and science you left behind. Right or wrong, all else is forgiven after time has passed There isn't room in a 25th century textbook to talk about Denmark's health care system or the 

I wrote the following based on a strong rebuttal that used Biblical history and literature on poverty and suffering

to counter my points, along with his own beleifs

Exodus isn't history, and the Old Testament doesn't put a value judgment on Egypt's slavery, merely their choice of slaves. After all, the Hebrews had slaves of their own, condoned by the word of their Pentateuch. Nor do the Gospels condemn the Romans for Jesus's death, putting it forth as a betrayal of Gods son by Gods people, through an intermediary. Good thing too, as it would have been awkward when Rome became the expanding force of the religion and the home of the Church. The Bard and Shelley may have done the proper artistic weeping, but like their modern counterparts it didn't stop them from accepting royal commissions and titles.

Let me amend my statement to read "The grand scope of history and the population viewing them in toto do not care. . ." I thought it obvious that not (literally) everyone on Earth feels identically (about anything). But I guess it was too far a leap.