larkin

American Empire VS Roman Empire : monetary history repeats itself


After listening to Glen Beck lecture on and on as if he was a PhD in economics about how we are on the road to socialism because of unfunded liabilities like social security and Medicare, I am about ready to spit up.

The truth is the Western European democracies manage even if they are a bit more lavish about handouts then they should be but in this country, we are overlooking a few things..

Maybe Social Security is running short because They can't keep their hands off of it. By robbing its surplus, the congress is directly responsible for making it a real ponzey scheme that they claim it is.

The biggest liability is supporting a global police force for domestic corporations that have essentially moved off shore to avoid tax for services made by the military for their benefit. We should also take note that they have taken the jobs and manufacturing base with them.

The link above suggests a partnership inflation between and war in the Roman Empire. It a cycle that has been repeated many times and bears a striking similarity between circumstances then and now along with predictable results.

Mountain Man

I agree. I do not profess to understand exactly why we continue to play the role of savior of the world on behalf of ungrateful nations who simply expect more and more handouts while hating and opposing us.

I think the world needs to solve more of it's own problems while we focus on rebuilding our nation.

Th Roamns, of course, fell into the trap of focusing on the overall survival of their huge empire and perpetuating their own power, while ignoring the social and economic relaities they themselves brought into being. I see this happening in America right now, since we have become a debtor nation unable to maintain ourselves without enormous transfusions of foreign capital and an equal need for cheap foreign labor. The Romans had conquered nations and slaves - America has Third World outsourcing.

The Romans built up enormous debts they could not pay - so has America.

The Romans fell into a totally corrupt and self-serving government, just as we have done, and tried to remedy it with bread and circuses to appease the masses - say "unemployment benefits", Social Security and "television".

Rome ultimately collapsed in the face of enemies far inferior, just as we are doing now.

Zeno

Come on! You can't believe that! Saviors of the world! Saviour of your own corporations. Only US interests are protected. Markets are opened to the US. Yes, it is sold as righteousness, but that's the way a "mediatized mass democracy" that is in fact an oligarchy has to sell itself to the public.

Mountain Man

Agreed - however, that isn't how the government markets our actions. And isn't it odd that the moment trouble breaks out, all eyes turn to America to fix it. Perhaps a little independent responsibility on the part of the rest of the world is also in order?

I often wonder how seeking handouts and assistance from America for every little problem is sold inside the nations who do it?

Zeno

Well, that would require the US (and other permanent members) giving up it's veto-power in the UN-security council, for starters...

Cicero

Did they? I thought that the National Debt was invented by the British in the 18th century or so with the Bank of England and all. I do know that the Romans continually debased their coinage and maybe that is what you mean. I think deficit spending is a more modern concept.

Mountain Man

No it wouldn't. It would merely require us to just say "No" to handouts and military intervention once in a while. We could politely suggest that they get themselves out of their own fixes instead of expecting us to do it for them.

Mountain Man

The Roman emperors bankrupted the empire with their lavish public works and even more lavish circuses. Sounds like Obama to me.

sylla1

The Roman Empire survived for 15 centuries (even more if we consider the middle and late Roman Republic was a paradigmatic imperialist power). That was an impressive survival by any standard. Even so, war was a constant along the better part of those centuries.

Is there any evidence on the Western Empire (which fell) having more inflation or debts than the Eastern one (which survived)?

Zeno

Well, even if Obama is as bad as you seem to believe, at least he's mostly bad for the US, not for the whole world like Bush.