When discussing America’s dangerous global expansion we often hear comparisons to the Roman empire. Both eventually got to the point where they spent more than they produced, leading to an eventual decline in their currencies, and in Rome’s case a decline and complete transformation of the empire.
The following excerpt, provided by Wikipedia, could just as easily be describing the USA today:
Many historians speculate that the rapid growth of the empire over a relatively short time and the economic inflation that followed could have contributed substantially to the empire’s decay. Due to incredible size of the empire, it required a huge budget to maintain many key elements in its survival such as roads (essential for communication, transportation, and the moving of armies) and aqueducts (many of Rome’s cities relied on the water that it provided). At the time the empire was fighting enemies on all sides due to its expansion into their territories and was already contributing huge sums of silver and gold to keep up its armies. To try to combat both problems, the empire was forced to raise taxes frequently causing inflation to skyrocket. This in turn caused the major economic stress that others attribute as one of the causes for Rome’s decline.
When you compare the loss of purchasing power of America’s US Dollar to that of the Roman Denarius, you can get a better idea of the seriousness of the decline in which we currently find ourselves:
In terms of purchasing power loss, the period from 1913 to the present and the period from around 180AD to 280AD for Rome are shockingly similar. It seems that their republic, which eventually decayed into a socialist democracy, tried to take the same steps to save the system as we have thus far. It didn’t work out too well for Rome. No worries, though, this time it’s different.
Pretty scary, huh?
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Great charts.
it’s up to all of us to stand by our government in these perilous times. they’re doing the best they can in the face of numerous enemies of the freedom we all enjoy. we all need to contribute at least $1000 to the campaigns of boehner and mcconnell. these guys are heroes in the continuous fight against socialism and communism.
“it’s up to all of us to stand by our government in these perilous times. they’re doing the best they can in the face of numerous enemies of the freedom we all enjoy. we all need to contribute at least $1000 to the campaigns of boehner and mcconnell. these guys are heroes in the continuous fight against socialism and communism.”
Obama and his merry band of neo-marxists are the most immediate (and arguably the gravest) danger to the “freedom we all enjoy.” Boehner and McConnell are okay for now, but the federal government has become a gigantic and irredeemable monster that ultimately will need to be killed in order to restore the constitution (without the sixteenth and several other amendments) and preserve freedom.
Are you kidding? They are part of the problem if not on the bandwagon of our so called government.
“ To try to combat both problems, the empire was forced to raise taxes frequently causing inflation to skyrocket.”
Doesn’t rising taxes have a deflationary effect on spending?
Great chart Mac!
KEN; You have been drinking the kool-aid. Today its Obama. After November when the republicans sweep the current a$$holes from office, THEY will become the problem: just like they were before Obama was elected.
They ALL work to serve themselves, their party, and their lobbyists at OUR expense! Its been like that for 50 years and it will continue that way until there is blood on the streets of America, again, and the political and financial elite finally recognize that they have gone too far.
They have eroded our liberties, siphoned off our wealth, endangered our security, and shedded the Constitution to feed their insatiable lust for power and wealth. They are criminals and should be treated as such. They need to be arrested, jailed, tried and punished for all of their misdeeds.
If their crime be treason, let the people put them to death. Death to traitors!
Eradicate the G-FLU: R1D1L1Â Â Â Â
zukadu – just gotta ask…what does your closing mean? Guess I’m pretty dense, but can’t figure it out!!!
And IMHO you are right – kind of like cleaning mold and mildew – unless you get it all gone, it just keeps coming back. And what we have passsing for leadership in DC is a pretty good example of mold and mildew!!! We won’t be rid of it all until we make a clean sweep and start over!
GrannyB:Â Â Â G-FLU R1D1L1 is a virus, like H1N1. Its the government flu. republicans, democrats, and lobbyists.
They shoot horses don’t they?
So I’ve heard!
BTW, love the acronym!!!
Look at the charts again. Â Regardless of which ‘party’ is in power the result has always been to lie, cheat and steal from working people to enrich the parasite class.
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The police and the army work for the CEOs not you or me and that’s the way it’s always been.
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For technical charts by Bud Wood (author of the US$ chart):
http://www.si-charts.com/charts/Charts5_-_Technical.html