Trade Deficits and Tariffs

Tariffs, quotas, and other protectionist measures are connected to trade deficits. The trade deficit is the monetary difference between imports and exports of a specific country.

What is our trade deficit which moves up and down constantly depending on the value of the dollar, the state of the economy, government spending, savings, taxation, and investment?

The data available from 2018 show that the U.S exported $2.5 trillion in goods and services and imported $3.121 trillion from other countries, thus our trade deficit was $621 billion. One third of exports then involved services such as tourism, intellectual property, and finance, and goods exported include aircraft, medical equipment, refined petroleum, and agricultural goods. U.S. imported computers, telecom equipment, apparel, electronic devices, autos, and crude oil. According to CFR, the deficit in goods was $891 billion, higher than the total deficit because “the goods deficit was offset by the surplus in services trade.” The U.S. Trade Deficit: How Much Does It Matter? | Council on Foreign Relations

According to the currently running Debt Clock, the U.S. trade deficit is approximately $1.271 trillion and the trade deficit with China is approximately $295 billion. U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

Tariffs and quotas have been used to reduce trade deficits by discouraging imports and promoting domestic production if a specific industry still existed in the U.S. and had not been moved entirely to another country such as China, Canada, and Mexico in order to take advantage of their cheap labor and the lack of environmental regulations. At that time, American workers who lost their jobs to this type of globalism were forced to train their replacements in foreign countries where the plants had been moved.

Keynesian economists believe that the trade deficit could be shrunk if more economic growth would take place abroad thus inducing foreign citizens to buy more American goods. But some countries make it almost impossible for Americans to export their products to the European Union, for example.

Two other routes of balancing the trade deficit are also explored in Keynesian economics, more saving or less investment. The U.S. personal savings rate has been declining for decades; the savings decline recorded in 2006 as minus one percent is the worst since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The rationale behind savings increase is that, if Americans save more, U.S. will borrow less from abroad. The dollar would become cheaper, and the trade deficit would shrink. Tax incentives might encourage Americans to save more, but it has not worked well.

Reducing U.S. domestic investment in real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has proven to work only temporarily in the 2001 recession.

William J. Baumol wrote that “if our trade deficit persists, we will have to borrow more from foreign investors who, at some point, will start demanding higher interest rates. At best, higher interest rates will lead to lower investment in the U.S. At worst, interest rates will skyrocket, and we will experience a severe recession.”

The third remedy for our trade deficit is to limit imports by imposing tariffs, quotas, and other protectionist measures. Keynesian economists believe that tariffs “superficially save American jobs and conveniently shifts the blame for our trade problems onto foreigners.” But other nations will retaliate with their own tariffs.

Protectionism can increase X-IM (exports-imports). If Americans buy less imports, reducing the supply of dollars on the world market, the value of the dollar will increase. But a rising dollar would hurt U.S. exports and encourage more imports from other countries. Consumer behavior will always change in the direction of buying what is cheapest for them, they do not care whose economy they help or hurt.

Budget deficits and trade deficits are linked by the fundamental equation,

X – IM = (S - I) – (G – T). [X is exports, IM is imports, G is government spending, and T is taxation]. Following this equation, the U.S. trade deficit must be reduced by a combination of lower budget deficits, higher savings, and lower investment, all variables that are difficult to coordinate.

American consumers are not alone in their preferences for goods and services. Speaking of trade deficit, “according to the historian Pliny, the demand of Rome’s elite for silk, precious stones, pearls, and other luxuries from highly developed empires in the east was so great that it drained Rome’s coffers of silver. One hundred million Roman sesterces ended up in Arab, Indian, and Chinese pockets annually.” (History Magazine, Ancient Rome, March 2025)

 

 

 

 

Are We in Waning Times like Rome?

Throughout human history, there have been approximately 60 empires, some longer lived than others - Roman Empire, Persian, Mongol, Ottoman, Han Dynasty, Umayyad Caliphate, Spanish Empire, Russian Empire, and the British Empire. They left significant traces in both eastern and western civilizations.

The Mongol Empire of the 13^th and 14^th centuries was the most contiguous empire in history. The Umayyad Caliphate comprised 4 million square miles.

The Han dynasty ruled from 206 B.C. for 400 years.

The Ottoman (Islamic) Empire occupied parts of three continents during 16^th and 17^th centuries. It “collapsed in the early years of the 20^th century.”

Persian Empire (Achaemenian) under Cyrus the Great occupied lands from Iran to Central Asia and Egypt. It fell in 333 B.C.

The Spanish empire, at its height in the 1700s stretched over 5.3 million square miles. This colonial empire existed from 1492 until 1649 (the decline) or 1976, depending on who you ask. It controlled parts of Africa, Europe, Oceanic islands, and both Americas.

The Russian Empire controlled 8.9 million square miles at its height in 1895. Historians agree that this empire and the Little Ice Age had played important roles in stopping Napoleon’s conquest of Europe.

The British Empire, now a shadow of its former self, controlled a quarter of the planet and of its population. A few of the former colonies remain part of the Commonwealth of Nations to this day.

Hitler’s Third Reich (empire), as he proclaimed it, was supposed to last a thousand years. It lasted a little over a decade, from 1933 until its pronounced defeat in 1945 by the Allies in WWII.

The Roman Empire was established in 27 B.C. by Augustus Caesar who proclaimed himself the first Emperor of Rome. Rome itself was founded in 753 B.C.

Then there was the Holy Roman Empire which was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. Headed by a Holy Roman Emperor, this “polity” developed in the Early Middle Ages in Europe and lasted almost a thousand years until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.

Nobody can dispute the fact that America has tried to be too many things to too many people and that, in the end, we appear to have failed. We have not advanced democracy around the world as politicians claimed because most countries did not want our “democracy.”

We are not a democracy nor an empire, we are a Constitutional Republic. When the mainstream media repeated the lie of democracy ad nauseam, people eventually believed it.  

Merriam-Webster Dictionary quoted James Madison who wrote, “In a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person; in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy, consequently, will be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large region.”

In 507 B.C., Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced demokratia, “rule by the people,” from the Greek words, demos (people) and kratos (power). Demokratia had three institutions, the ekklesia (a group who wrote laws and devised foreign policy); the boule (council of representatives from the ten Athenian tribes); and the dikasteria (courts in which citizens presented cases to a group of jurors chosen by lottery). The lottery had to be rigged since the rich were chosen more often than the poor. Demokratia lasted two centuries. Academics renamed it direct democracy as opposed to modern representative democracy. Academics love to play with words and meanings to suit their agenda.

Democracy was not power to the people (demos-people, kratos-power) because out of 100,000 Athenian citizens only 40,000 were part of the demos who voted, male citizens older than 18.

Dikasteria chose by lot 500 jurors every day from a pool of male citizens older than 30. Aristotle said that dikasteria “contributed most to the strength of democracy because the jury had unlimited power.” Athenian citizens “used dikasteria to punish or embarrass their enemies.”  Sounds familiar?

The Roman Empire stretched all over Europe and North Africa. It lasted more than a thousand years if one takes into account the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) which ended with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 A.D. and its capture by the Turks.

This Eastern Roman Empire, more Greek in life and language, furthered Roman learning, and law within its walls.

The advance of the Roman Empire was always halted by the barbaric tribes in the north and east – Franks, Saxons, Alemanni, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Alans, and Huns.

At its height, Rome, the seat of the Roman Empire, was a superb megalopolis of more than one million people.

In 410 A.D., historians describe a hot August night when a slave opened “the gates of a starving Rome and the Gothic armies camped outside flooded the “Eternal City.” Hordes of Germanic barbarians ransacked Rome for three days.

St. Jerome, a native of Rome, wrote, “When the brightest light on the whole Earth was extinguished, when the Roman Empire was deprived of its head, when, to speak more correctly, the whole world perished in one city, I was dumb with silence.”  

Rome stood unconquered for 800 years. The Roman Empire never recovered after this sacking of Rome and, in 476 A.D., the last emperor, Romulus Augustus, was deposed by his own German commanders.

Alaric’s Goths were not exactly interested in destroying Rome, they wanted the Roman way of life. Alaric had asked for land for his men and the title of allied commander but was denied. More Roman soldiers were recruited from the ranks of these barbarians who felt no allegiance to Rome.

King Gaiseric destroyed much more of Rome in 454 A.D., but the end of the empire is associated with Alaric’s attack in 410 A.D. because the psychological blow to the Roman citizenry was so shocking that it became impossible to overcome.

The Western Roman Empire had stretched too far from Rome and its borders were exceedingly more difficult to defend against the constant invasions.

The excessive use of lead as sweetener, in cosmetics, and in lead pipes that carried water everywhere, caused chronic lead poisoning and infertility as evidenced by skeletons found in Cirencester which contained ten times the amount of normal lead concentration. People suffered from paralyzed limbs and headaches, classic symptoms of lead poisoning. Fertility declined, and no encouragement from emperors to produce more children changed the down spiral.

Other historians believe that “mad emperors, corrupt politicians, the lust for power, sexual perversion, and paranoia destroyed the empire from within.” You can add to that envy and treachery.

Some autocratic emperors ruled only for their own benefit, greed, power, and vengeance, but some spent Rome’s wealth for the common good. Murder in cold blood often removed their enemies, real and imagined. Other emperors were so crazy that they committed unspeakable horrors just because they could.

Greed and corruption were so entrenched that “Six men owned half the land in the province of Africa, according to the historian Pliny the Elder.”   

The main lessons from the Roman Empire's demise are that it fell because of greed, corruption, immorality, debauchery, inability to defend its vast borders, massive invasion from poor neighbors who envied the Roman lifestyle and its riches and wanted lands and wealth, and potential lead poisoning which led to population decline. It is important to note that the Roman Empire's decline and fall were not carefully orchestrated from within, by its own Curia and Senators, its fall happened gradually over hundreds of years. 

Even though our country is a Constitutional Republic, many Americans today believe that it is a democracy, others an empire, and some an experiment. The lie of democracy and empire has been repeated so many times that it has become the truth for most.

Considering the off the cliff’ purposeful direction that our country is following, this question is legitimate, are we in the waning years of its former greatness?

Sorrento and Capri

The Blue Grotto (photo: Wikipedia)

The Blue Grotto was an elusive dream I've had ever since I learned the superstition that kissing your mate while inside meant spending a lifetime together - it sounded so romantic and I was always a hopeless romantic.

Our journey started in Verona, Italy. We took the fast train to Rome. Because I speak Italian, we maneuvered easily among the crowds, purchased our tickets from the automated machines placed all over the station and thus avoided the crowds and the long lines.

First class tickets were twice as expensive so we settled for second class. I am used to being a second class citizen, traveling in cramped quarters, and flying with my knees bent to my chin.

Freciarossa High Speed Train

 

Fast trains in Italy, however, even in second class are very comfortable, clean, and right down luxurious when compared to other countries.

Italian train stations are clean but crowded, with insufficient, smelly, and out of the way bathrooms. Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence, our first stop, was no exception.

The fast train, run by Trenitalia, Gruppo Ferrovie Dello Stato, a state-run system, had meal service brought by a steward with a well-appointed cart. The food was fresh and inexpensive.

 

Florence - Ponte Vecchio (photo: Ileana Johnson 2015)

 

We stopped in Florence for five days with plans to re-board the train later for Rome. We took in the sights, the Duomo, the Boboli Gardens, the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio with its fabulous and expensive gold shops, Piti Palace, the open-air Loggia, David's Statue, the Medici Chapel by Michaelangelo, the colorful open air markets, Piazza della Signoria with the beautiful Loggia, Santa Maria della Croce with its walled and floored tombs of famous politicians, musicians and writers, the gold shops, and the famous leather makers.

 

Saint Peter's Square

 

Upon our arrival in the Roma Termini station, named after the ancient Baths of Diocletian, against our better judgment, we hired a taxi to take us to our hotel, two blocks from the Vatican. I can honestly say that I was relieved to get out of the tin can taxi with no seat belts. It was very clean and inexpensive, but the driver was so aggressive, we were generally within inches of most cars on both sides, front and back. Italians were honking angrily, shouting obscenities out the window, or flipping each other. This when they were not stopping right in the middle of traffic, getting out of their cars, and engaging in a direct fist fight.

 

Vatican Milenium Door (photo: Ileana Johnson 2015)

 

We spent days at the Vatican and taking in the sights and sounds of Rome, the out-of-the way churches with hidden tombs, eerie and smelly catacombs, exquisite statues, monuments, parks, and museums.

It was not scary enough to visit Domitila's catacombs once a few years back, I had to go a second time with David. Against my better judgment, I agreed. I can honestly say that it was the first and last time I had gotten mosquito bites underground.

We were so overwhelmed by beauty, art, and architecture, after a while, we became like the rest of Italians, appreciative of everything surrounding us but unable to find the words or feelings to express its beauty anymore. How will it feel like returning to our simple, unadorned surroundings in America?

Fontana di Trevi and the Spanish steps were required stops - we threw coins in the fountain to make sure that we would return to Rome someday.

The highlight was the Cappuchin Monks’ chapel with its bone collection of thousands and thousands who had been exhumed and turned into decorative art in the chapel. As much as I had wanted to see it, I had missed it on three previous trips because it was under repairs, we could not leave it fast enough; it gave me the creeps and the stench of death was nauseating.

Sorrento and Mt. Vesuvius
Photo: Wikipedia

Next stop was five days in Sorrento. We had spent five days visiting Florence, five days visiting Rome and we had traveled by fast train every leg of the journey. We abandoned the rail and decided to join a busload of people of all ages and nationalities to Sorrento and to the Island of Capri.

The tour guide was a dashing Italian with a boundless love of women and little patience for anything else. We had to run on Guido's time or no time at all. I had promised David that I would behave and abide by Guido's schedule and outlandish rules. While holding my fingers crossed behind my back, I promised that I would not slip into Ileana's time machine and take my sweet time for pictures or sightseeing.

Guido preferred sitting in a busy cafe, feast his eyes on women, drink wine, smoke, and look sophisticated while sweating profusely in his elegantly tailored linen clothes. I wanted to walk all over town, I did not want to miss a thing - the vistas, the architecture, the blooming flowers, the shops, the people, the street vendors, the fruit stands, the dizzying drops to the sea, and the Roman road markers. I was on a quest for the perfect Sorrento music box to add to my collection with the melody, "Torno a Sorriento." I was definitely a thorn in Guido's side.

Sorrento would be a sleepy provincial town if it was not for an unending stream of tourists, foreign and domestic, coming by bus loads struggling to inch away from the rocks flanking the narrow roads.

Sorrento is nestled in the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples, a small town in Campania, southern Italy, with some 16,500 inhabitants. It is a very popular tourist destination which can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii. Many viewpoints from the city allow sight of Naples, Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri.

The Amalfi Drive which connects Sorrento and Amalfi is a narrow road that threads along the high cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was a "mamma mia" moment to look over my shoulder to the mile drop below.

Ferry boats and hydrofoils provide services to Naples, Amalfi, Positano, Capri and Ischia. Sorrento's sea cliffs and luxury hotels are very famous. Dave and I stayed in a gorgeous four star hotel with hand-painted tiled floors. Our balcony overlooked the bay. The beauty was not just in the perfect scenery, the carved rock formations, wild flowers, azzure blue waters, sunshine, and spectacular vistas, but the accommodations and the food were fit for kings.

We could not go to Sorrento without tasting its famous limoncello, a “digestivo” made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. The balmy, Mediterranean climate with its rich volcanic ash soil grows huge citrus fruit, grapes, nuts and olives.

Wood craftsmanship is a fine art; like everything else, Italians do it to perfection. On a factory visit, we witnessed the carving of the intricate cameos, made from sea shells, painstakingly whittled on the end of a short stick, nestled in the bleeding, blistered palms of a master craftsman. I finally understood why cameos were so expensive and precious, they were literally carved in sweat and pain.

We took a ferry boat to reach the Island of Capri. From there, we were planning to take a hydrofoil, a smaller boat, and finally a dingy in order to reach the Blue Grotto. It was early June and the sea was agitated and choppy but not as bad as it could have been in winter time. It was dicey to actually enter the naturally carved cave.

We were determined to climb Capri on foot to the top in order to visit the remains of Roman Emperor Tiberius' villa. It took us a good three and a half hours, but it was worth every effort. The historical significance and the breathtaking views were indescribable. Forgotten was the fact that we could only find one bathroom on the way to the top and did not have enough water by the time we reached the summit. We overlooked simple things such as food and water. We were in awe of Roman history, archeology, breathtaking views, the rocky Mediterranean landscape and the colorful flora in every fenced yard. A few lazy cats watched us curiously from the top of stone fences.

Tiberius was a cruel emperor who habitually hurled his enemies, people he disliked or crossed him, over the top wall of his villa into the foaming sea below. It was scary peering down the very spot where so many Romans met a swift and cruel death. We paused to admire the ruins and to imagine what must have been like living under such duress in Tiberius' villa.

Capri is not a very populated island, it has roughly 7,300 inhabitants. Anacapri is located on the opposing side of the island. The name comes from wild goats or from the Greek for wild boars. None of these wild animals are currently residing on the island.

There is a small beach area with smooth rocks instead of sand, quite difficult and painful to walk on or sit on. Once you hit the turquoise waters though, it is worth the pain.

The naturally carved rock formations are absolutely spectacular from a distance and up close. The most interesting is the Grotta Azzura, a naturally occurring cave which reflects light from two holes, one above the water and one below, giving the cave water its unusual filtered bright turquoise blue appearance. Visitors can only access it with a small two-passenger row boat. The Italian rower, as well as the passengers must lie back in the boat in order to clear the short and narrow opening without being decapitated. Once inside, the cave is quite large. Statues had been found inside dating back to Roman times.

We were treated to an Italian canzone while inside The Blue Grotto and I finally got the romantic kiss from the love of my life.

Copyright: Ileana Johnson 2015

The American Oligarchy

We are fundamentally changing, it’s been coming for decades but it is more noticeable now because we have Internet, wireless devices, pocket size encyclopedias encapsulating libraries around the world, and instant access to real news around the globe.

We see how the main stream media has become the spokesperson for the ruling elites, corruption rules and day, and education is melting in the flames of common core.  

We are no longer a Constitutional Republic because we failed to keep it. We are a benign oligarchy composed of same party rule of the few oligarchs, no matter how we vote at the polls. The oligarchs do as they please.

Oligarchy is a “form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; it is government by the few.” Nations ruled by oligarchies do not fare well, whether they are benign oligarchies or absolute tyrannies.

Newly elected politicians sign worthless pledges to constituents which they immediately break on the first day of Congress, joining those they swore to defeat and corruption is epidemic with all politicians, new or expert octopuses with tentacles strangling the heart of the republic. The oath of office is just a meaningless step to power.

We go about our daily lives; we go to work, shopping, to the movies, to parties, and watch surreal “reality TV” and sports while our country continues to fall apart. Nobody understands the insurmountable debt accumulated by Congress after Congress that is looming over our futures.

We still have food, we are fat thanks to food additives and a sedentary lifestyle, we are lulled into a false sense of security, we have a warm place called home, some have jobs, some have 2-3 part-time jobs, the welfare checks keep rolling in, what is there to worry us?

We are like the declining Roman Empire – America is waning because of the corruption of our leaders which we elect time and time again.

The average American does not really care right now. But the day to day contentment will change during their life time because of millions and millions of illegal aliens brought into the country by this administration. Their children will exist in a third world state riddled with poverty, illiteracy, crime, welfare, shortages, and equal and deplorable penury.

Most people are not feeling the change in their lives, but “fundamental change is in the air” and coming at dizzying speed.

We still have freedom of religion, although some “religions” are catered to more by government laws and regulations, forcing the rest of us to accept a “religion” that is contradictory to our Judeo-Christian values, lest we are sued or killed. Christianity is constantly under attack around the world and at home.

We have to self-censor or pay the penalty of hate-speech. The United Nations wants to codify into law a punishment for anyone who dares to criticize the very violent “religion of peace.”

Theoretically, we still have freedom of speech but, if we exercise it, we are marginalized as loons or phobes, forced to apologize for factual statements, or lose our jobs. In essence, we have lost the freedom of speech guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. We are now fearful to speak publicly, to our neighbors, and even whisper to relatives who have not yet written us off as strange and inimical because we have divergent opinions.

Ask tenured professor Dr. John McAdams of Marquette University about his suspension for exercising his freedom of speech in a blog which criticized an instructor who forbade students to have dissenting opinions in his class because the topic “was settled.” http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/fight-erupts-over-universitys-censorship-of-student-speech/

Speech is free as long as you agree with me. If you advocate for freedom of speech, you are going to be fired or suspended in the very place that prides itself over freedom of speech. But are universities a place where anyone can express their thoughts freely anymore? Especially when they have installed tiny corners called “free speech zones” but you have to ask permission from the university to use it.

We have freedom of the press but the press is run by liberals. We can write our opinions, but can we get them published? After all, most of the publishing houses are owned and staffed by brainwashed progressives.

We have freedom of assembly as long as the city government pressed by progressive agendas approves our petition to assemble and the topic of discussion. Conservative groups are often told no, while illegal immigrants can freely assemble to protest their illegitimacy and law-breaking presence in our country.

What is the goal in bringing into America four million Muslim immigrants per year who are intolerant of infidels and of their freedom of speech, as evidenced in the most recent massacre of twelve innocent Parisians who dared practice their trade of free speech through cartoons? The slain policeman who arrived on a bicycle and unarmed, was unable to protect the other eleven victims.

How could this happen in the liberal paradise of France where police has been disarmed and guns prohibited as demanded by the progressive society who believes that an unarmed populace will convince terrorists to give up their weapons. Surely they will respond to reason and mercy. We are all civilized humans, aren’t we?

Fareed Zakaria said on his CNN show, “There is within the world of Islam many, many pockets, many groups that really have a great deal of difficulty with the modern world, and particularly with the open Western freedom of speech loving, freedom of expression loving world.  The grievance, the grievance is that they feel they live in a world not of their making, a world of the west's making.” Well, in that case, let’s remake the world in the intolerant image of Islam and terrorism will go away. If they hate our world so much, why are they immigrating in droves to the west? http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/01/09/left_focuses_on_non_existent_islamophobia_to_smear_conservatives

Christiane Amanpour, referring to the Paris massacre, said, “One of the things that we're living right now is a very ugly and unseemly rise yet again of Islamophobia, and this is very worrying.  All these governments now are gonna be watching to see how the far right, which made huge gains in the last local elections in Europe a few months ago, National Frontier, UKIP in England, you know, the groups in Belgium and Germany and elsewhere, which are mobilizing big anti-Islamic demonstrations, how this is gonna play into this very ugly political situation.” http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/01/09/left_focuses_on_non_existent_islamophobia_to_smear_conservatives

What “ugly political situation?” Twelve innocent individuals, doing their jobs and exercising their right to free speech in the civilized world, have been slaughtered by the adherents to Islam. Can anyone name contributions to civilization that Islam has made since the 11^th century other than violence, destruction, and death?

France24 reports that fifty world leaders have gathered in Paris to attend the Anti-Terrorism Rally on Sunday, January 11, 2015. http://www.france24.com/en/20150110-paris-rally-charlie-hebdo-sunday-leaders/ Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority among them, “are marching in solidarity against radical Islam,” said LTC Ralph Peters on Fox and Friends Weekend.

Kirk Lippold, Commander of USS Cole, wonders on his Facebook page why the United States is not represented in this massive rally against terrorism. “This is an embarrassment for the United States and speaks volumes about this Administration's commitment to defeating radical Islam and the terrorists who kill innocent civilians.” https://www.facebook.com/kirk.lippold.9/posts/10205683838880415?notif_t=close_friend_activity

We are in the phase of a “soft, benevolent dictatorship,” some call it “despotic oligarchy,” shaping what we do, what we say, what we think, what we eat, what we drink, what medicines we take, what doctors we see, but people are generally blind so far to this new phase of reshaping America away from the “evil” capitalist empire that has brought prosperity and development to the entire world.

The moral decline of America is driving more nails into its coffin because everything deviant is now protected and promoted by law and the medical field is encouraging and paying for any physical changes desired.

Rome did not fall in one day, it took a long time for its collapse and it split into two empires, the Western and the Eastern. The Western Empire fell quickly in 476 A.D. to the barbarian hordes that wanted the Roman lifestyle but were unwilling to assimilate.

Political corruption, a mercenary army disloyal to Rome, unchecked immigration,  waves of Visigoths, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Franks, Ostrogoths, and Lombards who took turns damaging the Empire, an inflationary economy, decreased agricultural production, trade deficit, decadence, piracy, and lead poisoning were other variables that contributed to the fall of Rome. The Eastern Empire flourished for another 1,000 years as Byzantium.

How long is the American Empire going to survive under a soft, benign oligarchy?