Will America Replay |
Because it has garrisoned its troops all over the world?
That's one reason, but only one.
Because Americans are like Romans?
Some are; some are like the Roman Senators of the fifth century, one of the most rapacious and ruthless ruling classes that ever held power. Think Mafia. For the amount of wealth: think billionaires today. Perhaps other Americans have begun to understand this: Obama's election would indicate that. However, the selfish class is fighting hard to keep its privileges. Obama's election is no guarantee that they won't prevail in the end.
Roman Senators were selfish and self-absorbed, determined to hoard the huge wealth of the empire and determined to promote empire to enhance their wealth even further. The common people lost all power and were lucky if they had enough to eat (they were the humiliores, literally the humble, as opposed to the honestiores, the honored). To learn how this happened, click on Brief History.
Our CEO's and the well-connected, may even style themselves after those fateful Senators, the ones who presided over and helped connive in the Fall of Rome.
The Roman Empire fell because it was bankrupted by its leaders; well, look at the red ink now! Budget deficits, trade deficits, a huge national debt that tripled when George W Bush took power and has now grown even faster under Obama. At least the deficits Obama is running now might prevent further economic catastrophe--if the bailout funds aren't all stolen by the high-fliers, and if the bloated financial system is radically reformed. What are the chances?
Does anyone remember when we were actually paying down the debt?
Romans, and now Americans, have had the misfortune of being ruled by a Selfish Class. Rome fell because of it. Will America replay the Fall of Rome?
| America Now--Roman Empire Then Parallels between the late Roman Empire and the US now. Includes my own take on policy, politics, events, personalities and ideas, and their parallels with 5th century Rome when the Empire fell. |
| History of the Roman Empire: Brief The History of the Roman Empire tells of Piecemeal Expansion |
| Trade Deficits US trade policy is crazy; it creates trade deficits indefinitely; that's unsustainable. |
| Progressive Narrative A progressive narrative is needed to counter the pervasive conservative story. |
| Attila Chapter One Attila I,1 begins Attila's autobiography, as told to his scribes. Chapters will be released sequentially. |
| Middle East Oil, Roman Slaves Empires are driven by their energy source: the Romans by the need for slaves, the US by its need for oil. |
| Socialism for the 21st Century Now is the time for socialism of an updated New Deal variety, as a new and better way to manage the US and global economies. |
| Special Interests Block Real Change special interests make the US muscle-bound when real changes are needed. |
| How the rich get richer when they are in control How the rich flourish in George W's world |
| Class Privilege The Titanic depicted a world of class privilege that the wealthy want to regain. |
| Antitrust and AIG Obama's nominee for Antitrust should use the Division to go after firms like AIG, which should be broken up as Standard Oil was in 1911. |
| Why the financial collapse The financial collapse was not caused by the finance sector, nor by the sub-prime meltdown, but by longstanding economic policies. |
| Securing Mortgages, Not Banks Democrats should reject underwriting ALL bad loans; they should secure home mortgages and ensure that people keep their homes. |
| The Poor Are Growing! How more poor people are created now, as in Rome |
| Crime and Punishment Harsher punishment has been adopted for crime, but it is really a means of increasing government control |
| Keynesian Economics Keynesian economics comes up with very different answers from the reigning economic orthodoxy on tax and economic policies. |
| Autocracy in the US Why the US is heading towards autocracy |
| The Fall of Rome The fall of Rome was really over a pay dispute; it was not a city falling to a siege. |
| Economic Ideology The dominant economic ideology has profound effect on the shape of a society |
| Capital Punishment Capital punishment does not deter murder; it may even increase its incidence. |
| Left-Wing Politics Left-wing politics welcomes change and diversity, but is oriented towards achieving the greatest good for the greatest number. |
| Religion and Politics The combination of religion and politics aids political control |
| Apocalypse Americans think of the Apocalypse in active terms that have political implications. |
| Gold Conspiracy Why do libertarians want the gold standard? It would not mean no government intervention in the economy. |
| Fading US Dollar: Fall of Empire? Repercussions of the US dollar's fall could be widespread and devastating to empire. |
| The Mafia, The Roman Empire and GW Bush The Mafia and the Roman Senators were small-time crooks compared to our government now |
| Environmental Disaster Unlike most environmental disaster, global warming is happening slowly, too slowly for people to respond to its unprecedented dimensions. |
| Free Trade Free trade dominated by corporations deprives workers of their fair share of profits |
| Bush Ideology Bush ideology blinds him, and those around him, to what is really happening out there in the world, but it also demands of him that he lead the world, just as even the last Roman Emperors believed. |
| Terrorism and the Roman Empire Terrorism today is both like and unlike the barbarian invasions. |
| Capitalism is a Pyramid Scheme Capitalism is not sustainable |
| Black Markets Black markets arise especially in wartime to meet needs not met by legal markets. |
| Social Security Why Social Security privatization is a conservative project |
| Immigration Immigration into northern nations will swell as global warming renders more and more of the southern lands more unlivable. |
| How the Right Would Design the Ideal Tax System How an ideal tax system would look if designed by a conservative |
| New Orleans and NY Reconstruction Hides Gentrification Reconstruction in NY and New Orleans has provided an excuse to get rid of the poor and working class |
| Impeachment Impeachment is the ultimate Congressional power and it must be used now. |
| Iraq: pushing string Iraq and US are each trying to use the other |
| Escalation in Iraq Escalation is seen as necessary to safeguard the empire |
| Imperialism Imperialism is all about ripping off other nations' resources, regardless of the ideological rationale used to justify it. |
| Conservatives versus Liberals How conservatives are more interventionist than liberals |
| We Need Context We need context, meaning a new story to explain events like Iraq. |
| Support the Troops Support the troops means different things; I support them back home. |
| The Super-Rich The super-rich are remaking the world, to serve them, not you or me. |
| The Sole Superpower What's so good about being the superpower? |
| Ephesus as Metaphor The fate of Ephesus hints at what could happen if our attempts at slowing global warming are ineffectual. |
| News and Media Then and Now News and media have been used since Roman times to pacify the masses |
| Civil War: Iraq is Not a War The civil war in Iraq has become very complicated, and American forces are now changing sides. |
| Winning in Iraq and Afghanistan What is "winning" in Iraq, or Afghanistan? Neither McCain nor Obama really know what that means. |
| Abortion and Politics Abortion is an either or issue; it is also a tool in the politics of diversion |
| What We Have Lost We have lost community |
| Why the Right Wants to Abolish the Estate Tax Why the Right wants to abolish the estate tax |
| Does Global Warming Require Government Action? There are reasons why "voluntary guidelines" won't work to curb global warming. |
| Climate Change If there is no global agreement about climate change, large parts of the world become uninhabitable and the ensuing migrations will make the Germanic invasions of the Roman Empire look insignificant. |
| Terrorists Are a Diversion While the US has fought terrorists, the world has changed, to its detriment. |
| Racism and Class Politics The racism displayed at Jena, LA is not new, but it represents a renewal of Jim Crow, which is part of the conservative movement that has almost taken over. |
| Privatizing Everything The problems with Blackwater Security in Iraq highlights the administration's penchant for privatizing government services, and demonstrates one of many reasons why privatization is a bad idea. |
| Structural Adjustment Aids Terror? Structural adjustment demanded by the World Bank is one of the most effective means for promoting terrorism. |
| Casino Royale Casino Royale makes a case and diverts the populace |
| Gangsters in the White House Gangsters have taken over the White House, and the country; they run it as if it was their turf. |
| Skirts, Kilts, Paenulas and Togas Why can't men wear skirts, and does men's limited clothing choices have anything to do with a failing empire? |
| A Great Nation Being a great nation harms most of the people in it, and outside it. |
| Student Loans Privatized Why student loans are becoming more expensive |
| No Child Left Behind The No Child Left Behind Act leaves children behind. |
| Blog Archives Links to all blog archives back to Sept. 2006 |
| Blog Archives 5 Blog archives of posts from July through September, 2008 |
| Blog Archives 6 Blog archives 6, of posts from January to Sept. 2009 |
| Blog Archives 7 Blog archives from Sep 2009 to Aug 2011 |
| Books Onsite Buy my ebooks (under $4) and you'll support this website. Buy Elizabeth Cunningham's hard and softcover books here, too. Autographed. |
| Why this Website Why this website? |
| Comments, Arguments, Feedback Readers can record their comments, arguments, and feedback here. |
| Directory Links and Contact Page Contact form |
| correspondence correspondence with readers |
| The Occupation Occupation of a nation by force will not work if the population resists, unless the occupiers are willing to go as far as the Romans went in Palestine. |
| Vote Third Party, Or Not? Does it make logical sense to vote for a third party, given the US electoral system? |
| New And Improved Just like marketers of soap, McCain's campaign is now "new and improved," which means new packaging and only one secret ingredient. |
| Elections, Battles and Assassinations Romans had elections, too, and we can be thankful that ours are usually decided by votes. However, some have been decided the Roman way: by assassination. |
| Issues Not Debated The important issues have not been debated in the current election campaign. |
| Braveheart and Leadership Braveheart sets out a model of leadership that legitimized a ruler like Bush, but Obama needs a different model. |
| Pakistan, Afghanistan and Obama Obama's Pakistan and Afghanistan policy is a real miscalculation. |
| Attila was Not Osama is Not Attila There are many parallels between Attila and Osama, but there are also some significant differences. |
| Lakshmi Mittal Reverse Imperialist Lakshmi Mittal demonstrates reverse imperialism on American workers, and inststs on a reverse stimulus, too. |
| Blagojovich and the Free Market Blagojovich demonstrates why free markets need to be regulated. |
| Freedom's Just Another Word In Bush's usage, freedom means something quite different from what you think. |
| The Fifth Century's Appeal The fifth century fascinates, because government didn't work and something very different took its place. |
| Occupy New York City Declaration A declaration to Occupy New York City, adopted by Consensus Sept. 29, 2011, by the Occupy Wall Street Movement in New York City |
