America and Rome: Compare

A few days ago I was reading a book called "Empire" by Orson Scott Card. It was a frightening book -- albiet unrealistic -- of what happened if there was a civil war between left wing hi-tech lunatics and hardcore rightwing survivalists. That premise, I felt, wasn't very realistic.

But a part of the book dealt with a series of lectures that I found the idea of both fascinating and appalling -- the fall of America.

I will summarize the main salient points. While an avid reader of history, I am not a historian and would appreciate corrections being made.

Rome was founded as an aristocratically lead nation in the hills of Italy. At some point, they turned into a republic, where citizens were represented by their Senate. This representation was not very absolute -- the needs of the common people were often over looked -- but there WAS attempts (the plebian tribunes, the land reforms of the Grachii) at making sure government was ... well, representative.

Rome grew in power and size, and her bureaucacy swelled. Increasingly, the republic was beset with internal problems and external issues. Increasingly, the Senate became filled with corrupt senators in the pay and bidding of the Legions, or local businessmen, or corrupt smugglers -- one senator was even paid by pirates!

As a result of the increasing corruption and wasting of money, taxes became ever more onerous, and elections were mob affairs -- canidates murdered in the streets. The upstanding were butchered, like Cicero, and the base and venal were hailed as heroes. Read More