>Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks.

It progressed civic life, institutions, law, infrastructure, and other things, a lot. Modern law is a heavy percentage ancient roman law in basis.

Slavery-based society doesn't say much for 2 millenia ago. Most where. The US had slavery until less than 2 centuries, and Jim Crow and other such things until less than a century. And still has things like forced prison labor, so let's cut the Romans some fucking slack.

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Shitty-kitty 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Slavery was legal in most society's 2 millennia ago but most society's were not built to be depended on slavery the way it was in Sparta, Rome and the American South.

	▲	coldtea 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		They swept it under the carpet, keeping the benefits, but keeping it a side part of their economy. Kind of like a modern country depending on unprotected labor and even child labor in the third world for its minerals or even for its Nikes. And a lot the later 19th-20th century "englightened" countries that didn't have explicit slavery in their midst, have enslaved and exploited whole countries as colonies.

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WalterBright 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> forced prison labor

I'd rather work than be in a cell.

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oersted 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

If it is forced it is not what you would rather do.

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coldtea an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'd rather have a civilized prison system with human conditions, instead of an medieval revenge, profiteering, racism and exclusion, a prison-labor complex, and the death penalty - all created, ran, and cheered by bigoted Old Testament-types of human scum.

Especially if I get far far worse crime outcomes than countries with much healthier prison systems.

But, hey, that's just me.

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WalterBright an hour ago | parent [-]

I'd be content with a prison system that keeps the criminals away from victimizing more people.

	▲	paulryanrogers 18 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Humane prisons aren't incompatible with public safety from violent offenders.

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FergusArgyll 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You should read a day in the life of ivan denisovich. In my understanding, the whole book is making your point