Two interesting articles I read today:

1. Pirates of the Mediterranean: What A Terrorist Incident in Ancient Rome Can Teach Us (New York Times)

   A really interesting article comparing historical events in the Roman Empire with current events. The story begins with:

   IN the autumn of 68 B.C. the world’s only military superpower was dealt a profound psychological blow by a daring terrorist attack on its very heart. Rome’s port at Ostia was set on fire, the consular war fleet destroyed, and two prominent senators, together with their bodyguards and staff, kidnapped.

   (If you don’t have a NYT account, just log in using BugMeNot.)

2. Why I’m Banned in the USA

   I’m getting more sympathetic to stories like this all the time. The conclusion:

   I fear that the United States has grown fearful of ideas. I have learned firsthand that the Bush administration reacts to its critics not by engaging them, but by stigmatizing and excluding them. Will foreign scholars be permitted to enter the United States only if they promise to mute their criticisms of U.S. policy? It saddens me to think of the effect this will have on the free exchange of ideas, on political debate within America, and on our ability to bridge differences across cultures.