I just listened to a commentator who was drawing parallels between Rome and the U.S. While I didn't agree with everything he said, he did mention that Rome was weakened by its welfare system and the debasement of the currency, became dependent on foreign labor, and was brought down by uncontrolled immigration. Opinions?
The Republic as we have known it will not last forever. Pulling together we might last another two hundred years. Devided as we are will, I believe, your commentator may have a point and his point may be sooner than later.
Dunno about the immigration part Don. Rome conquered so many nations on 3 different continents I can’t for the life of me figure out what might be called unwanted immigration. Even a vast part of the Roman army consisted of soldiers who were conscripted from conquered nations. Now, I do know through some Biblical studies that true Romans were afforded some privileges that others from the “outside” were not but whether those privileges were somehow granted to and being abused by those who didn’t deserve them I don’t know. Of such is what we in the U.S. are having to figure out: why are immigrants who are not yet citizens afforded the same privileges (not freedoms) as the citizens? Yup, time to crack the books.....
It's hard to believe how quickly everything is going downhill from inferior products to the disastrous, totally divided government. They want Trump to fail and there is nothing they won't do, including completely ruining this country, to make it happen. Flooding the U S with immigrants is the quickest and simplest way to deplete resources and weaken this country.
His point was the Germanic tribes, whom the Romans had used to fight their proxy wars, migrated into central Italy and demanded the rights of Roman citizens. I reckon that is what will happen here when the immigrant hordes that are assaulting the border get enough numbers in the U.S. to demand rights they have not earned.