Like Rome, America apparently can coast for a long time on the fumes of its wonderful political heritage and economic dynamism — even if both are little understood or appreciated by most who still benefit from them.
Like Rome, America apparently can coast for a long time on the fumes of its wonderful political heritage and economic dynamism — even if both are little understood or appreciated by most who still benefit from them.
Yeah well, there are benifits and hazards living in a decadent society.
The imminent invasion by the barbarians is one hazard.
When Rome was no longer the home of the emperors, the capital was moved to Constantinople and carried on as Byzantium.
The final destruction of the Byzantine Empire was in 1453, as per a previous post, when it was overrun by the Islamic supremacists of the day.
So, the Empire did carry on for a further 12-plus centuries, albeit in a different part of the world.
The current western world will be unable to last 12 more decades, never mind centuries, unless it can remember the values that formed the foundations of its greatness.
Societies destroy themselves not from without but from within. Sloth, decadence- all of the deadly sins, really- have rotted the Great Experiment that was America. The barbarians aren’t waiting outside the gates. Someone left the gates wide open and now they demand mosques and death to the infidel.
What civilisation will rise to take America’s place?
The Author states “Like Rome, America apparently can coast for a long time on the fumes of its wonderful political heritage and economic dynamism “.
Yes…on fumes, and as all things that coast, eventually gravity will bring them to a halt. That’s the part that’s inevitable and could have been avoided with a change in leadership and direction. Unfortunately it’s already too late.
Hanson is right, as are all of the above comments. The turn-around came slightly over 2,000 years after the Roman Republic was replaced by the Caesars pretending to be gods. It is sad to watch.
Similar to the Roman elites who purchased skilled slaves for their individual needs, whether in Rome or in the villas outside Rome. The Elites of Ontario are destroying the lives of the people who provide the jobs and therefore the economic well being of Ontario.
The Romans destroyed the skilled worker class with the use slave workers.
The Ontario Government is destroying the entrepreneurial citizen class.
Making small business owners responsible for the employment failures in the workplace, obligating the people who work harder; risk all; cannot bear the weight of social legislation developed by an indifferent bureaucracy and politicos.
The small business person cannot hide the expense of correcting Society’s failings in their tax deductions, or makeup for inefficient workers, cannot hide malingerers with light duty work and subsidize top up funding mandated by government agencies, and hire the poorly prepared young people.
Just like the skilled workers of Rome the people in Ontario who make things or provide services will either move on or their children will join the entitled. Cheers;
I think Obama is riding on empty and just passed the last sign that said; ” Last chance for gas.”
,
Justin Caesar Bieber
http://youtu.be/5nTKWYvWW2U
Like Rome, America has descended from a republic to a dictatorship (patrician/elite oligarchy supplying an omnipotent leader). From republic to imperialist empire under an authoritarian who keeps the population in line by taxing them to austerity then providing bread and circuses diversions – dissent and revolutionaries are snuffed with a paid spy network, martial law and an elite Pretorian guard who murder the empire’s enemies within and without its borders.
Also like Rome, corruption, injustice, brutality and profligacy abound in the capital among the ruling class.
Goodbye America. You where a sweet girl For a long time. A light to many for freedom.A bastion of hope. A dream for many. A gift to humanity. Gone now from greed, to mass insanity.
Now we all fall like dominoes, into an age of brutality.
Alas for the Pax Americana that was a God given cradle for a Civilization gone bad from its own pride. Even your allies failed you.
The Planet is going to be a bleak place, for a long time.