by Philip Giraldi‚ The Unz Review: Benjamin Netanyahu shows Joe Biden who’s boss Over the past ten days there have been several interesting developments in the continuing ethnic cleansing of Gaza‚ as well as increasingly on the West Bank‚ by the Israeli military supplemented by armed settlers. In one particularly grotesque killing‚ Israeli commandos disguised as medical […]

from Revolver News: Well‚ it looks like “The Great Replacement Theory” isn’t just some wild conspiracy after all. The latest CDC figures show a clear and disturbing picture: Biden’s administration is effectively swapping us out with a surge of illegals‚ whom they’re grooming to be their new voting bloc. The mainstream media is‚ as usual‚ […]

  The common perception of Emperor Nero is that of a madman‚ a brutal autocrat‚ a murderer‚ and even the Antichrist. He is the infamous image of the deranged man who sang epic songs‚ playing the fiddle while Rome burned to cinders. Thankfully‚ nowadays‚ this perspective is increasingly challenged‚ resulting in an image of a much more complex ruler who had his flaws but was also victimized by his enemies‚ a ruler who made significant contributions to Rome and the Roman Empire and presided over the last period of peace before the empire was plunged into a brutal civil war. Here are some of Nero’s most significant contributions that affected Rome and its people.   Emperor Nero Was a Patron of Arts and Sports Coin showing a bust of Nero on the left‚ Nero laureate‚ playing lyre on the right‚ 62 CE. Source: The British Museum‚ London   All of Emperor Nero’s predecessors were military leaders and able politicians. They were also patrons of arts and organizers of lavish games. However‚ Nero went beyond his duties as a benefactor. The emperor deeply appreciated arts and culture. Nero was a skilled lyre player and singer‚ often participating in public performances and artistic competitions. He also competed in numerous sports disciplines‚ including the famed Olympics. Unsurprisingly‚ Nero won all the challenges (in part because no one wanted to challenge an emperor). Nero’s patronage of arts and sports and his direct participation in numerous activities made him incredibly popular among the common folk‚ who considered the emperor their protector.   The Circus Maximus in Rome‚ Domenico Gargiulo and Viviano Codazzi‚ 1638. Source: Museo del Prado‚ Madrid   However‚ his down-to-earth approach earned him criticism from senatorial elites‚ who considered his acts unworthy of an emperor. Pliny described Nero as actor-emperor‚ and Suetonius lamented about Nero’s direct participation in chariot racing or athletics.   Nero Built “The Golden House” Visual reconstruction of the Domus Aurea‚ built after the Fire of Rome in 64 CE‚ by Josep R. Casals   Following the Great Fire of Rome of 64 CE‚ Nero embarked on an extraordinary construction project. Perhaps too eagerly‚ as Nero’s critics used such enthusiasm against the emperor‚ accusing him of starting the fire. While Nero was probably not to blame‚ his lavish palace – the Domus Aurea or Golden House – was truly an engineering marvel. The palace complex covered a vast area (over 100 hectares)‚ including sprawling gardens‚ artificial lakes‚ vineyards‚ fountains‚ an army of statues‚ a host of buildings‚ and hundreds of rooms elaborately decorated by lavish frescoes‚ mosaics‚ marble‚ gold and gems. The centerpiece of Nero’s Golden Palace was an octagonal dining room – an architectural marvel of the ancient world. Its rotating ceiling created an illusion of the heavens in motion.   Domus Aurea‚ Ceiling decoration of the Hall of Achilles; detail of the fresco from the Room of the Little Birds‚ 64-68 CE. Source: Rome Archaeological Park   Once again‚ Nero’s critics used the extravagant complex as evidence against the emperor’s arrogance and detachment from reality. It seems‚ however‚ that Nero planned for at least some parts of the complex to be open to the citizens of Rome‚ with the emperor acting as their protector and the patron of the arts. Following his death‚ the Domus Aurea became a symbol of the hated regime and was razed to the ground‚ with the Colosseum built in its place.   He Rebuilt Rome and Improved Living Conditions The Fire of Rome‚ by Robert Hubert‚ 1771. Source: Historyextra.com   Augustus boasted that he had “found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble”‚ but in the first decades of the Roman Empire‚ the imperial capital was a huge‚ overcrowded‚ and chaotic city. Its streets were narrow‚ twisty and dirty‚ and most buildings were haphazardly built timber and mortar structures‚ many rising precariously seven or eight stories in the air‚ leaning over streets‚ shedding bits and pieces on unsuspecting pedestrians. In short‚ pre-Neronian Rome was a disaster waiting to happen. Thus‚ when the Great Fire broke out in 64 CE‚ it quickly spread out of control‚ devastating most of the city and sparing only four of Rome’s fourteen districts.   The map showing the layout of the city of Rome‚ and its districts‚ in the imperial period – 1st to 4th century CE.   While Nero took advantage of the disaster to build his Golden House‚ the emperor also embarked on a colossal rebuilding program. More importantly‚ Nero passed and enforced new regulations to prevent recurring disasters. He ordered the widening of the streets‚ regulated the height and materials of the buildings‚ and established new organizations to oversee maintenance of the city’s infrastructure.  Nero Achieved Lasting Peace with Parthia Head of Nero‚ from a larger than life statue‚ after 64 CE‚ Glyptothek‚ Munich.   During Emperor Nero’s reign‚ the Roman legions were relatively peaceful. The most notable military engagements were the quelling of the rebellions in Britain and Judaea and the war with Parthia‚ which resulted in peace favorable to Rome. Like his predecessors‚ Nero did not personally lead the Roman army. It was his general‚ Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo‚ who‚ after five years of war in 63 CE‚ brought the Roman-Parthian war over Armenia to an end.   Ceramic relief plaque of a Parthian mounted archer‚ 1st – 3rd century CE‚ via the British Museum   Armenia was a buffer state coveted by both Rome and Parthia since Crassus‚ and neither side could gain a decisive advantage. Corbulo managed to reach an effective stalemate. According to a treaty approved by Nero‚ Parthian candidate Tiridates remained the king of Armenia‚ but had to renounce his allegiance to Parthia and recognize Nero as his superior. Tiridates also had to travel to Rome‚ where he received the crown from Nero in a public ceremony. The treaty also established a friendly and cooperative relationship between Rome and Parthia‚ lasting almost half a century until Trajan’s reign. The treaty boosted Nero’s military prestige and allowed him to focus on other affairs.   Emperor Nero Sent an Expedition to Find the Source of the Nile Copper coin minted in Alexandria‚ showing the bust of Emperor Nero on the left‚ and the image of the hippopotamus on the right‚ symbolizing the Nile‚ 54-68 CE. Source: The British Museum   Among many of Emperor Nero’s achievements‚ one of the most adventurous and curious projects was undoubtedly the Nile expedition. Like most Romans‚ Nero was fascinated by the history and geography of Africa and Egypt‚ the wealthiest province of the Roman Empire. He also wanted to emulate the achievements of Alexander the Great. Perhaps to explore the ground for potential invasion deep into the heart of Africa‚ Nero organized and dispatched the first scientific expedition in history to find the source of the Nile River.   Fresco fragment with Nilotic landscape‚ ca. 1-79 CE. Source: The J. Paul Getty Museum   In 61 CE‚ under Nero’s patronage‚ a group of soldiers‚ explorers and scientists‚ led by two centurions of the Praetorian Guard‚ embarked on an expedition. They left Alexandria and followed the course of the Nile upstream. Braving many challenges and dangers‚ the Neronian explorers reached the city of Meroe‚ in modern-day Sudan‚ the capital of the kingdom ruled by a warrior queen. From Meroe the expedition pushed further south‚ encountering many exotic animals and never-before-seen places. Eventually‚ they reached the vast swampy area known as the Sudd – a large swamp located in southern Sudan. It is possible that the Neronian explorers ventured even further‚ all to the Murchison Falls in Uganda‚ and came very close to the source of the Nile. However‚ Nero’s death in 68 CE prevented further missions or potential campaigns in the south. 

An Israeli diplomat’s 19-year-old son cannot claim diplomatic immunity to escape charges for allegedly intentionally running into a Florida police officer with his motorcycle. Avraham Gil‚ 19‚ the son of Israeli Consulate Consul for Administration Eli Gil in Miami‚ was arrested in Sunny Isles Beach‚ Florida. He was released after his attorney claimed diplomatic immunity due to his father being a diplomat. However‚ the U.S. Department of State said the teenager is ineligible to receive the immunities. WATCH: BREAKING: reported by ABC TV channel‚ the son of an Israeli diplomat‚ who intentionally ran over a Miami cop‚ is anticipated to be released due to the diplomatic immunity granted by his father's position. pic.twitter.com/RN2xIckJkC — Censored Voice. (@CensoredNws) February 3‚ 2024 “The Department is aware of this incident. We can confirm that‚ as the dependent of an Israeli consular officer‚ the concerned individual is not entitled to civil or criminal immunity‚” the State Department said in a statement obtained by NBC Miami. Israeli diplomat’s son denied immunity after running into cop with motorcycle because he hated waiting in traffic https://t.co/OnwgEqhp7K pic.twitter.com/fxhqjdtIEm — New York Post (@nypost) February 3‚ 2024 NBC Miami reports: Avraham Gil‚ 19‚ was arrested over the weekend on charges of resisting an officer with violence and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer‚ according to jail records. Gil allegedly plowed his motorcycle into the police officer‚ who had made a traffic stop‚ and injured the officer’s leg in the incident‚ an arrest affidavit said. In bond court Sunday‚ Gil’s defense attorney claims to the judge Gil has consular immunity because his father is Eli Gil‚ an Israeli consul in Miami. However‚ the State Department in Washington said in a statement the teen is not entitled to immunity. According to local media‚ Gil has had numerous encounters with police officers in recent weeks. WPLG Local 10 obtained footage of the teenager pulled over for a traffic stop in Miami Shores. In the video‚ Gil mentions his dad being a diplomat. WATCH: From Local 10 News: An arrest report states that as the officer approached the vehicle he pulled over‚ Gil came up on his motorcycle‚ weaving in between vehicles. The officer motioned at Gil and yelled at him to stop‚ police said‚ but instead‚ he kept riding towards the lieutenant and “intentionally ran him over.” The officer‚ who suffered an “incapacitating” injury to his left leg‚ grabbed Gil and brought him to the ground to stop him‚ the report states. Police arrested Gil on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence. The officer remains out of work. A Dec. 31 video shows Gil also being pulled over by Miami Shores police. Gil faces a first-degree felony charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence. “Defense counsel’s representation was relied upon and the defendant was released on his own recognizance‚” a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said in a statement Thursday. “After receiving confirmation from the State Department‚ Office of Foreign Missions‚ that neither the defendant nor his father have diplomatic immunity‚ we are proceeding as usual with our investigation. Mr. Gil remains charged and the case is still open.” The teenager’s attorneys have maintained his innocence. Attorney David Seltzer released a statement to Local 10 News: “It is critical for a law enforcement officer to identify quickly and accurately the status of any person identifying themselves as part of a diplomatic attachment‚ which Mr. Gil did several times per procedure. Numerous documents are associated with foreign diplomats which make it difficult without verification to discern a diplomat’s status. In the instant matter‚ Sunny Isle Police Department (“SIPD”) failed to follow protocols and procedures in place to identify if Mr. Gil‚ in fact‚ had immunity. At the time of the initial bond hearing‚ it was reported that he had immunity‚” the statement read. “Per the Department of State guidelines‚ “…federal registration documents and driver’s licenses do not definitively reflect the degree of privileges and immunities of the bearer. They should be relied upon only as an indication that the bearer may enjoy some degree of immunity…” Thus‚ based on SIPD’s failure to follow approved and accepted procedures in place‚ there was no clarity on his status. As can be seen from the video moments before the incident‚ Mr. Gil was simply driving and had no intention to hit the police officer‚ and there is no evidence to the contrary. When all the facts come to light‚ we are confident Mr. Gil will be exonerated‚” it added.

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