Rome\'s decline and the U.S.

[starman2012]

But consider: how do our problems stack against, say, the Civil War, when President Lincoln ordered the suspension of habeas corpus? The Great Depression? The painful steps taken during the civil rights struggles of the 60s?

A key difference is that in the past democratic government wasn't directly to blame, hence wasn't vulnerable. Nowadays the economy is at grave risk in part because voters insist on keeping spending high and taxes low, so the red ink keeps accumulating, threatening an eventual collapse. I think democracy survived the civil war because the North had a big edge. Things might've been different if the US faced a greater threat of longer duration (the authoritarian regime of Germany reflected the need for more discipline when surrounded by powerful enemies, whereas Canada and Mexico were hardly a threat to us, so democracy was a luxury we could long afford.)

We must remember to bring a sense of perspective to our problems. America, as a nation, has faced far more daunting problems than a blah economy. Rumors of our terminal decline are, in my opinion, greatly exaggerated.

I think our country will survive, just like Rome became even stronger after the late republican upheavals.