America is on course to fall like
the Roman Empire. Sagacious wisdom delivered by serious individuals. A
prediction at least a century old, I have heard some say Nostradamus predicted
our Latin destiny in the 16th century. I have listened to many sages
talk of America’s demise since a small child, this story proved helpful by
teaching me to ignore the wise sage’s moralistic pontification. I predict that
America will decline and then fall, I also predict an earthquake will happen in
California, Turkey or Japan. I foresee pestilence, war and famine, we are all
doomed. Sound familiar? Now I add some time lines, the end is 15 to 20 years in
the future. My solution will prevent our failure for 75 years. Currently we
hear this spiel about Social Security dysfunction. In 1983 Ronald Reagan used
the same argument to modify Social Security, which saved Social Security for 75
years. We need not worry about Social Security until 2058 due to the fixes instituted
by President Reagan. Part of President Reagan’s argument was the Fall of Rome comparison.
The Fall of Rome paragon is a red flag, a warning that the sales pitch has
begun.
Our contemporary sages compare the
moral decay and economic collapse of America to Rome, history will repeat
unless we do as they say. Warnings are presented with feeble ideas that have
never produced positive results. The poor ideas are hidden by the emotional argument,
if you hear a lecture about America repeating Roman history, change the
channel, there are some great sports programs available.
Why did the Roman Empire fall is a valid question. German professor Alexander Demandt published, in 1984, a compilation of 210 theories explaining why Rome fell. An alphabetized list is available from the University of Texas.
These theories can be grouped into four broad categories. Loss of morals, disease
and earthquakes, economic collapse, and last, Rome did not fall, instead it
devolved into the European dark ages. As a history buff, I have read many of
the presentations by professors, and I have developed my own thoughts.
Is there a lesson to be learned
from the collapse of the Roman Empire? There is a lesson, a story repeated across
time and cultures, always with the same end game. The decline and fall of the
Roman Empire, several Chinese dynasties, the French monarchy, the Persian
Empire, even the Greek city state of Sparta, all civil organizations that loss
the support of the civilian masses. It is a lesson of greed, pride and power by
the elite, while for the common man, life became unbearable, with starvation
wages, abusive conditions, staggering inequity and justice for sale.
The source of success, is the root of the failure. As a society’s wealth increases, the difference between have and have-not increases. Initially the concentration of wealth and power aides the entire society, this concentration allows for larger endeavors, it provides direction and success for the society. Inevitably the elite go too far, conditions for the common individual deteriorates, the society losses the support of the common citizen. In the case of the Roman Empire, by the fifth century, the abuse of the common citizen was so bad that surrender to a barbarian King could be an improvement. In the case of America, at the turn of the 20th
century, the abuse by the “robber barons” was so extensive that America’s
political system was on the edge of collapse. The political system, and culture,
was saved by legislative action creating the Interstate Commerce Commission and
laws regulating monopolies, later combined with the Labor Union action which improved
wages, work safety and conditions, benefits and the 40 hour work week.
We should not look to Roman history
for the answer. We should look to American history for the answer. The Romans
failed, as did the French Monarchy, while America succeeded. America survived
the crisis of the “robber barons” and went on to create the “American Century”.
The Roman Empire started as a
Republic, all male citizens had a political voice, a thousand years later only the
elite had political power. This is the pattern. The elite slowly reduce the
number of people at the table, eventually only the elite sit at the table. Initially
the elite solicit the voluntary support of the populace, later the elite compels
their support by force.
America in the early 1900’s solved
the problem by giving workers a political voice, a seat at the table.
The elite learned the lesson, the
attempts to buy the Presidency failed, the attempts to murder labor leaders
failed. Today their grandchildren play a far more sophisticated game, with the
same objective, remove people from the table. The short term results will be
greater wealth and power for the elites, the long term result will be the same as
that of the Roman Emperors, or the French King.
The lesson of the Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire is to have all citizens at the table.
1 comment:
Hitler smiles on your argument comrade.
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