By Ian Ziller

In the modern western world we have been brought up to believe that the idea of having an empire or dictatorship is bad and tyrannical, but what if that is not the case?

Let’s wait for a minute and think about it and go back to the dawn of western civilization: The Roman Empire, which lasted for around 1000 years and has been said to be the blocks of what western civilization is based on. Roman culture is the basis for western culture; however, it through the use of military force. But we have to go back and think for a second of what Rome brought.

When the Romans conquered an area they brought law, justice, culture and science to the region and helped them develop with the building of roads and aqueducts that helped bring clean water to people. Also, the Romans were very tolerant of other people and were more than willing to let them carry out their religious beliefs so long as they paid their taxes and supported the government.

Then we have to ask ourselves, What if the Romans never controlled Western Europe? How would life be different today? First, what if Europe had been in the dark ages all this time? Would it be very similar perhaps to third world nations today, or maybe even worse?

Another argument would be the peace of Rome, which was a time when there was a period of great peace and prosperity brought about by the conquests of the empire by war with the use of force.