Are You Not Entertained?
The movie Gladiator II entertains hugely. However, it does not educate people about how vengeance came to be the ruling principle of civic and international life in ancient Rome. That rogue philosophy resulted from the drying up of Rome's system of civics education and from the unregulated accumulation of money and power.
Yes, characters in the two Gladiator movies have a "dream of Rome" as it once was. But there is no hint of how or why democracy happens in the real world of history. The two movies are full of throat-slashing violence, mutated baboons and man-eating sharks—the kind of stuff that makes rich producers richer and poor people poorer.
If it were put in a modern context, Gladiator II would be about a young Muslim in Gaza whose family was killed, thus radicalizing him during America's puppet war there. He comes to America to exact revenge on the political establishment that harmed his family.
Because we are so busy being entertained with the low-life elements of an ancient culture, we are learning nothing about how to avoid reliving Rome's history in America.
KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY
Woods Cross
Best of Utah 2024
Imagine being 53 years old and saying something is "based." [Worst Utahn Mike Lee] log off and go spend some time with your wife, dude.
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If I were a betting person who would bet on MAGA sports/politics, I'd place money on old Based Mike Lee to get a SCOTUS nomination from the Orange One (or his successor, Vance).
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Can we launch all 3 [Worst Utahn] finalists into the sun please?
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City Weekly is already the Best of Utah.
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Y'all are a bunch of POS bozos.
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Man. City Weekly has really gone to shit. Pure clownery.
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I love to see the bike speaker guy made the [Best Utahn] list! Even if his music wakes me up on Thursday nights.
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Erin Mendenhall to Mitt Romney [in Best Elected Official] is wild, LOL.
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You really missed with the Made-Up Controversy category. The displacement of communities is not something to be flippant or callous about.
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"Stamp Acts," Nov. 14 Hits & Misses
Everyone should have an easy way to vote. Mail-in voting is best for seniors. I heard about long lines at the polls.
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