The Fall of the Roman Empire vs. America Today

Paper Summary:

This paper compares the decline and fall of Rome with the current situation in the United States today. It examines the current political, economic, social and cultural situation in America and compares it to the circumstances leading to the fall of the Roman Empire. The paper also includes a brief history of the Roman Empire, followed by an analysis of the factors which brought its decline and ultimately its fall in the fifth century A.D. The paper then parallels Rome and America and strives to illustrate the similarities between the two superpowers.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Roman Empire: A Short Overview
Why Rome Fell
The American Empire, New and Old
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"The moral fabric of American society has deteriorated. The most obvious signs of this deterioration are corruption, the state of education, the rate of divorces and separations as well as an increase in the rate of criminality. Irrespective of religious belief, morality is an ethical issue which can shed light on a number of other aspects of the modern American society such as the links within communities, the sense of identity, the lack of integrity and civility in society, and even the state of the national economy. Without a doubt, governmental actions teamed up with legislation have had a negative impact on virtue over the past five or six decades. Some have argued that individuals have lost much of their moral fiber due to welfare and a weak accountability of their actions imposed by the state. Morality cannot exist without incentives for moral conduct; from this perspective, the state is responsible for revitalizing civil society and limiting governmental intervention."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bartlett, Bruce. How Excessive Government Killed Rome. Cato Institute 14. 2 (Fall 1994).
• Bellamy Foster, John and McChesney, Robert W. "The American Empire: Pax Americana or Pox Americana?" Monthly Review September 2004. <http://www.monthlyreview.org/0904jbfrwm.htm>
• Boyle, Francis A. Destroying World Order : U.S. Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11. Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2004
• Eland, Ivan. The Empire Has No Clothes. The Independent Institute, 2004.
• Faulkner, Neill. "The Official Truth: Propaganda in the Roman Empire." BBC Ancient History. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/romanpropaganda_article_07.shtml>

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