Roman Citizenship
American citizenship is similar to Roman citizenship. Roman and American citizens have advantages that non-citizens residing in the empire do not have
For example, during the early Roman Empire, the Apostle Paul was persecuted by Jewish authorities for being a Christian, just as Paul himself used to persecute Christians for a living. According to the Acts 22 in the Bible, his informal trial nearly started a riot so the Roman guards took him to be questioned by torture. At this point, Paul claimed Roman citizenship.
Acts 22:22-29: “Up to this point, they listened to his speech; but then they cried aloud, Away with such a fellow from the earth; it is a disgrace that he should live. So, when he saw them raising shouts and throwing down their garments and flinging dust into the air, the captain had Paul taken into the soldiers’ quarters, telling them to examine him under the lash; thus he would find out the cause of the outcry against him. And they had already tied Paul down with thongs, when he said to the centurion who was in charge, Have you the right to scourge a man, when he is a Roman citizen, and has not been sentenced? The centurion, as soon as he heard this, went to the captain and told him of it, What art thou about? he said. This man is a Roman citizen. So the captain came and asked him, What is this? Thou art a Roman citizen? Yes, he said. Why, answered the captain, it cost me a heavy sum to win this privilege. Ah, said Paul, but I am a citizen by birth. Upon this, the men who were to have put him to the question moved away from him; and the captain himself was alarmed, to find out that this was a Roman citizen, and he had put him in bonds.”
Later, in Acts 25, when Paul was moved to the city of Caesarea to be tried before the Roman governor, he used his right of citizenship to appeal to Caesar for judgement of his case.
Similarly, US citizenship has privileges that do not extend to all of the residents of the Empire. Today, American citizens can vote for Caesar and get the spoils (bread and circus) before the rest of the residents of the empire.
Voting for the president is powerful because Americans basically elect the modern Caesar of the West.
However, the most valuable part of being an American citizen is getting paid in dollars. As a consequence of printing the world’s reserve currency since 1944, foreigners build things we want in exchange for dollars. So the US government has been able to pay for all welfare and stimulus programs by printing money for an artificially long time. Americans get to spend any newly printed money before prices rise. This pays for bread and circus while the provinces pay for most of the rising prices first.[1]
Debasing the currency did not end well for the Western Roman world.
America is the modern Roman Republic. Whether we follow the path of the Roman Empire to the Dark Ages or have our own Renaissance will depend on whether we seek refuge in our founding principles or let ourselves be ruled by strong men.[2][3]
Looking at the arrest of the Apostle Paul, today it would be nice if the police were as careful not to violate the rights of American citizens.[4][5]
[1]https://www.hamiltonmobley.com/blog/guztul12vkm6b2rsgt8m4p49sxgfol
[2]https://www.hamiltonmobley.com/blog/mississippi
[3]https://www.hamiltonmobley.com/blog/husbandry
[4]https://www.hamiltonmobley.com/blog/c9x2o6yamrtdl91s8msgtr2rosf7lr
[5]https://www.hamiltonmobley.com/blog/9znetcj5ediyofu11tifu2kmpk6wkm
