Guest Comment: The Roman syndrome

The United States of America is exhibiting the symptoms of a terrible sickness, one that could be terminal. Fortunately, this is a rather rare occurrence on the world scene, but every few hundred years, another nation falls victim to this menace.

For lack of a better term, let us call this scourge, “The Roman Syndrome.”

I use that description because, unlike other attempts at empire, such as the Third Reich, and the Soviet Union, Rome’s problems of decay began slowly and covered many centuries before its inevitable collapse. In addition, it must be remembered that Nazi Germany and the Soviet adventure were the evil ideologies of two men, Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. The Roman empire, in contrast, had many Caesars, 37 in a hundred years before the end. Of those, 25 were assassinated. The two attempts at empire this century, while painful and brutal, were mere blips in the passing of time.

Why the “Roman” comparison? Because the parallels are many.

True, the United States has never been an empire, claiming territory far and wide, as even the British did; (look at Britain today) but, nevertheless, its power and influence are felt throughout the world, such that it is now arguably considered the “most powerful” nation on the planet.

The Roman symptoms alluded to earlier were quite subtle. In the beginning. there was a lessening of national will and purpose. Some even attribute this to the rise of Christianity. The ever-increasing loss of morals before it became a flood;. the desire to seek pleasure for pleasure’s sake and, yet, never satisfied with enough. For example, stories of the Roman orgies are legend. Gladiators in the coliseums started with fights to the death between two trained warriors and ended with feeding Christians to the lions, as throngs of both poor and wealthy cried for more.

And the comparisons do not end there. The Romans endured more and more corruption in government as well as in the private sector. As the empire ceased to expand and the treasures from far away lands dried up, there was more and more reliance on taxes to pay for the armies that held the empire together.

Small farmers could not compete with the wealthy landowners who used slave labor, and left the fields for the cities, increasing the burden on government.

The infrastructure, such as roads and aqueducts, that had been so skillfully built, crumbled; and still the wealthy seemed oblivious to what was happening; until in 476 AD, the Germanic hoards from the north felled the once mighty land of the Caesars, and the Roman Empire was no more.

This could never happen in the United States of America, you say. Let’s take a look.

To find signs of moral decay, just turn on your TV. Violence for violence sake is nightly exhibited by professional wrestling (‘Roid Rage) and the new craze, something called “The Ultimate Fighter,” which is neither wrestling nor boxing, simply mayhem. And don’t overlook the movies with not much dialogue, but plenty of gratuitous violence and sex. Sitcoms of old have been replaced with brash, vulgar attempts at comedy, written by those who seem to have a rather limited command of the English language, and acted by others with little talent.

A “gimme” generation feels annointed with a right of entitlement to the pleasures and trinkets of the moment. They stand in line for days waiting to purchase the latest book or electronic game, but would not spend a dime to further their education. A Congress that seems to have surrendered to the self-indulgence of profligate spending, and the concern only for getting re-elected. “For the common good” is no longer part of its vernacular; and now, even our revered astronauts are caught up in the “syndrome.”

But, enough of the naysaying. We still have a Constitution, a government still based on democratic principle, and the rule of law, however weatherbeaten they may be. So, what will it take to rescue this nation from following the Roman fate? The same we have depended on throughout our history, the emergence of a true Leader, not a politician on a white horse, but a real statesman, one who can inspire us to be better than ourselves. Let us just pray that this great, but embattled, nation has not exhausted its supply of such men or women.

Nothing in the foregoing is new. It just needs repeating over and over again until this sleeping giant awakens to its surroundings.

Allen H. Balch is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, retired Navy captain, Viet-nam vet, was a member of the Naval Pentagon staff, director of communications for Sen. John Tower, R-Texas.Captain, U. S. Navy, Retired. Naval Aviator. He moved to Green Valley with wife Lindsay in 1992, was a GVCCC vice president and co-chairman for the ‘94 GV incorporation bid. The views expressed are the writer's own and not necessarily those of this newspaper.