The fall of Rome..er..USA? Similarities

[Gracie]

Link shows similarities of the beginning of the fall of Rome, vs the fall of USA. Makes sense to me. What do YOU think?

Example from Link:

1) Cheap Foreign Labor

During its peak, Rome used foreign slaves to build their massive infrastructure³. While this practice boosted Roman profits, it took away jobs from Roman citizens who then became more dependent on the government.

This is not much different than how American companies have used cheap foreign labor⁴. While these laborers are not officially “slaves”, they earn very low wages. This practice allows companies to enjoy huge profit margins. These labor pools are known as “sweatshops”.

 

[Gracie]

2) Controlling People by Debt

When Rome got sacked by the Gauls, their military budget went through the roof. Taxes were raised considerably and Romans were overwhelmed with debt. The poorest Romans went bankrupt and begged the government for debt forgiveness.

How does this scenario not correlate to the massive Federal debt that the US government has amassed over the past few decades? And isn’t there a huge political movement right now to forgive student loans?

Astonishingly, Roman citizens were willing to give up their right to vote for more freebies from the government⁵. To see this happen in America today is not that far-fetched.

 

[night_son]

Link shows similarities of the beginning of the fall of Rome, vs the fall of USA. Makes sense to me. What do YOU think?

Example from Link:

1) Cheap Foreign Labor

During its peak, Rome used foreign slaves to build their massive infrastructure³. While this practice boosted Roman profits, it took away jobs from Roman citizens who then became more dependent on the government.

This is not much different than how American companies have used cheap foreign labor⁴. While these laborers are not officially “slaves”, they earn very low wages. This practice allows companies to enjoy huge profit margins. These labor pools are known as “sweatshops”.

Excellent post!

I would add only the comparison between Ancient Rome's Circus Maximus and the average American's obsession with escaping reality in their cell phones, movies, television shows, porn, video games and social media. Perhaps I would also add the average American's obsession with violence as well, as it compares to the average ancient Roman citizen's taste for blood sport.

 

[Vastator]

Folks tend to overlook one very important detail in their rush to compare Rome to America, or the West in general...
The Republic of Rome, transitioned into a dictatorship, and lasted many, many centuries before ultimately collapsing. It can be argued that it's greatest, and most infamous achievements occurred while under dictatorial rule. Much more so than it ever did, as the Republic it started out as. And had an exponentially longer life span as well.

It aint over yet. It's probably just getting started..

 

[rightwinger]

Rome loved Pizza
The US loves Pizza

Need I say more?

 

[whitehall]

"Cheap foreign labor" in Roman times was slavery.

 

[Gracie]

"Cheap foreign labor" in Roman times was slavery.

Yes. Slavery still exists today, too. Children being used as sex slaves, and also used to make items cheaper overseas than here. Think Nike and others like them. Hispanics working the fields that produce the crops you eat. Ever see where they have to live to follow the seasons? Plus the wages pretty much suck. Think Caesar Chavez and his attempts to remedy that.

So yeah. Slavery then..and now. Just in different forms.

 

[The Irish Ram]

My very wise History teacher used to compare us to Rome and was convinced we would also decay from the inside. And she was right.

 

[JoeB131]

Example from Link:

1) Cheap Foreign Labor

During its peak, Rome used foreign slaves to build their massive infrastructure³. While this practice boosted Roman profits, it took away jobs from Roman citizens who then became more dependent on the government.

This is not much different than how American companies have used cheap foreign labor⁴. While these laborers are not officially “slaves”, they earn very low wages. This practice allows companies to enjoy huge profit margins. These labor pools are known as “sweatshops”.

That's actually... kind of idiotic. The problem with the Roman economy is that it was based on continual conquest, which brought in fresh supplies of slaves and resources. When the Empire peaked, being hemmed in by Geography or hostile Persians and Germans, no more new slaves to replace the ones who eventually earned their freedom.

The biggest problem that Rome had was that any idiot who could march an Army into Rome could declare himself Emperor, and the system had no mechanism for getting rid of bad emperors other than assassination.

 

[JoeB131]

2) Controlling People by Debt

When Rome got sacked by the Gauls, their military budget went through the roof. Taxes were raised considerably and Romans were overwhelmed with debt. The poorest Romans went bankrupt and begged the government for debt forgiveness.

How does this scenario not correlate to the massive Federal debt that the US government has amassed over the past few decades? And isn’t there a huge political movement right now to forgive student loans?

Astonishingly, Roman citizens were willing to give up their right to vote for more freebies from the government⁵. To see this happen in America today is not that far-fetched.

Again, the problem here wasn't debt, it was a need for continual conquest. For instance, Rome was dependent on Egypt for grain. Cleopatra didn't want to play along, so they had to depose her.

My very wise History teacher used to compare us to Rome and was convinced we would also decay from the inside. And she was right.

So your teacher was an idiot?

Here's the thing. The last 170 years of its existence, the Roman Empire was a Christian Empire. (Or the last 1150 years of its existence, if you count Byzantium as a continuation of Rome!)

 

[rupol2000]

First, in Rome, the plebeians destroyed the republic, and achieved slavery.

There was no "fall", Rome was simply defited by the Great Huns.

 

[45thPatriot]

There are two things American needs to do. We must end Haitian and Latin immigration.

we must make it harder for people who can’t speak English or assimilate. They must pay the burden of their resource load. Call it slavery call it whatever you want but they must pay

 

[The Irish Ram]

They rotted from the inside out, exactly the way we are...

 

[surada]

My very wise History teacher used to compare us to Rome and was convinced we would also decay from the inside. And she was right.

Rome had an emperor. We don't... and most of us don't want a president for life like Putin.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Rome had an emperor. We don't... and most of us don't want a president for life like Putin.

We don't call them emperors. We call them Liberals...

 

[surada]

Again, the problem here wasn't debt, it was a need for continual conquest. For instance, Rome was dependent on Egypt for grain. Cleopatra didn't want to play along, so they had to depose her.



So your teacher was an idiot?

Here's the thing. The last 170 years of its existence, the Roman Empire was a Christian Empire. (Or the last 1150 years of its existence, if you count Byzantium as a continuation of Rome!)

I agree that her teacher was an idiot.

 

[surada]

We don't call the emperors. We call the Liberals...

Nope. Poor education. Totalitarian leaders for life are hard right nationalists, Fascists.. frequently wrapped in religiosity or catchy jingoism.

 

[The Irish Ram]

I agree that her teacher was an idiot.

as we sit here rotting from within...

 

[surada]

as we sit here rotting from within...

So stop electing con artists and scumbags. Support the US Constitution and rule of law.

 

[The Irish Ram]

They are all con artists and scumbags. That is what Soros money does...