How Similar is the History of Ancient Rome and the U.S.A.

Each nation originated with yeoman farmers forming the backbone of an Army of freemen defending what would become a Republic. Over time the strong hands on farmers egalitarian social and political standing became diminished by concentrated wealth and landed gentry. The main occupation of Americans was farming until the 20^th century and one could be describing the preponderant facts of Rome as well including that of the Republic.

We know that globalism and a Universal state developed for each, although neither Rome nor the United States ever controlled the entire world. The Parthian killed a Roman legion and the richest Roman-Marcus Crassus-acting as a general was defeated along with his legion by the Parthian Spahbod with his head delivered to the leader in a basket. China is beyond the military reach of the United States-yet so is Russia and most other first world nations realistically. Since World War two the United States has had difficulty defeating even second and third world nations conclusively.

Rome needed to rely on foreign proscription after a time as the farmers and volunteers had faded away and the U.S.A. has shifted to a very expensive volunteer army outsourcing support services to contractors with global employees from Nepal to the Philippines.

Rome developed public debt and provided bread and circuses to the urban plebian class.  The United States provides food stamps and professional sports even if on T.V. Ancient Rome’s concentrated wealth upper class of the Republic became too preoccupied with making money to fully fund the war to defeat Hannibal who later invaded nearly to Rome before being stopped. The United States during the Clinton years didn’t continue support for Afghanistan development allowing a civil war to develop with an eventual attack by Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qa’eda on New York City with a narrow miss on the nation’s capitol thanks to intervention of divine grace (some Christians and other passengers rushed a suicide bomber’s aircraft cockpit making the plane crash prematurely).

Ancient Rome’s leaders became decadent. The stories of Transalpine Gaul’s Roman estates and their luxury are legendary-while the restive masses of Germans and others outside were not adequately recognized. Ordinary Romans tended to emulate the decadence of their leaders not uncommonly when the libations could be afforded along with pagan debauchery. America’s role model Hollywood leadership class is renowned for its moral depravity and the President has supported ingressing homosexual empowerment and legal dope smoking. The state of Washington has a movement to allow dope smoking in bars. Not quite the opium dens of China though there is no Boxer rebellion in the offing either.

The ancient Roman Republic collapsed with a popular civil war leader (Julius Ceasar) defeating a less popular General-Pompey thereby bring the arrival of an Empire. It is not impossible to imagine such an historical development in the U.S.A. one day. Maybe a broadcast media head will be the top dog ruling by decree.

Historical paradigms are not exact models. Instead they are templates for understanding the evolution of social history that may in part recur.