Many talk of the similarities between the United States today and the Roman Empire at the time of its "fall."

Answer 1

And I guess your implied question is, "do you see any truth in this comparison?". The fall of the Western Roman Empire (because the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire only fell a thousand years later) was such a complex event that it makes a difficult 'starting point' for a comparison. It was also a 'very different' world back then that lay outside the Roman Empire.

But are there any 'universal' truths that are worth reflecting upon? Well perhaps a few.. One issue that faced Rome back in those days was that the Army had evolved over hundreds of years from an massive force of 'shock troops' (using Greek/Macedonian tactics I might add...) that overwhelmed everything in its path, to a caretaker/garrison force that sat inside the borders of a largely peaceful Empire. When the need arose, the Romans could not muster sufficient forces to deal with all of the threats that arose in the 5th century AD. They had got so used to the idea of their superior tactics and technology that they didn't realize that they simply didn't have enough men to 'project' that force, and were beaten by far 'inferior' enemy forces operating on so many fronts that they eventually overwhelmed the centre of the Western Roman Empire.

But if you are looking to compare the current 'American Empire' with some model of the past, you'd probably do better to look at some 'clash of Empires' model, rather than a 'decay of Empire' scenario. In that case Byzantine history might offer more lessons - particularly on how they operated relatively successfully on the doorstep of the Middle East for a thousand years. Up until the point where they 'frittered' away their wealth and power on foolish adventurism and were 'betrayed' by economic and religious rivals in the their own 'camp' (thinking of the Normans and the Venitians particularly).

Answer 2

No; The Roman Empire (Pax Romana) gain many advantageous issues and different issues that weren't so solid. a similar applies to The British Empire (Pax Britannica) and the yankee Empire (Pax Americana). The Roman Empire had provinces, The British Empire had colonies, the yankee Empire has satellites. over the previous century Pax Americana imposed democracy constitutional liberties and unfastened marketplace economics in Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.S. between others. at present international, Pax Americana isn't in give way, on the different the yankee Empire is increasing.

Answer 3

Well, yes, in the sense of its self-satisfaction as the center of the universe. Rome was, like the US, a highly industrialized and wealthy nation with a declining cultural value set in its later periods- some may liken that to the US.

However, unlike Rome, which was built against military domination, the US is an economic superpower. Our concern is to avoid drifting slowly into 2nd world status through uncompetitive educational policies and increasing income inequality between the rich and everyone else.

Answer 4

Who does? I don't.