At its height Rome was a terrifying power. It controlled most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean and was continually expanding. The culture was just as wide spread, falling over wherever Rome had dominance. Rome's influence over the world was so great that, even today, aspects of it can be seen in the roots of our nation. Rome, however, did not last and in the end experienced a catastrophic disintegration of the empire it had build up. America's similarities make our collapse a fear among many people. I do not believe that America will follow in Rome's footsteps, for while our country is Rome in many aspects, it is also more.
Rome and America share some scarily similar likenesses. For instance, in several ways Rome's government, before Julius Caesar, was identical to ours. They were a republic and had a large Senate that advised the people who were at the top. There was also a system of checks and balances, so that no one section of the government could gain too much power. In America's system today we even go as far as to name these aspects of government the same as Rome. We have a Senate, which helps run the country and our checks and balances keep all three sections of the government in their places.
Roses
It is not just the government that is the same either. Both of our nations were or are the economic superpowers of their time. Rome had most of the land around the Mediterranean and could pull in money from all of the places it conquered. Rome was by far the largest empire in Asia during its height. The United States is much the same, it currently holds the top spot, in the world, for GDP and has held it for quite some time. Both of these countries rose to power through imperialism, by dominating other countries and using their resources. Rome and America also both have very open policies concerning immigrants, allowing them to serve in the military before they even were citizens.
There are countless other similarities between the United States and the Roman Empire, but they are not the same. America may be Rome, but we are more, we are a better, more evolved form of the great empire. This can be seen in the way that America acts towards the nations that it is "conquering." It has been said that America is the police of the world. We get involved in foreign affairs, not to takeover and add to our empire, but to help those we believe are in need. Because of this mindset we treat these countries much gentler than what the Romans did. The Romans were out to expand their empire so their treatment could be very brutal. America also has geographic advantage when compared to Rome. A major reason Rome fell was that it spread itself too thin and thus was susceptible to invasion. While America may get spread out in the years to come, it can always retreat back to its homeland, where the oceans offer protection.
Rome and America are very similar, but they are not the same. Rome fell, but in no way does that mean that our country will follow the same path. Plus, we know how Rome fell, so we will know what actions to take if America begins to fall.
Are We Rome?