Nations and empires fall, perish or become absorbed for reasons. One seldom blames them if they perish or become absorbed through overwhelming force. But “falling” connotes failure through avoidable mistakes with accusatory opprobrium. No one, for instance, will blame Atlantis for perishing in an earthquake or Denmark, Luxemburg or Norway subsuming to Hitler’s forces.
But, lo, the Roman Empire, the mightiest state and culture, suffers untold criticism for “falling” from the works of Gibbon in the eighteenth century to the present. Its demise has become the oft cited example of the fate powerful nations might suffer if they do not change their ways. For the last fifty years, warnings that America is on its way to destruction when significant changes occur in its mores and untraditional behavior. Such observations seldom ascribe Rome’s demise to economic, military or other major factors.
An entity as vast and complex as the Roman Empire required numerous elements to become dysfunctional and destroy the empire. That, in fact, happened, but all of the debilitating malfunctions occurred over an extended period of time. The Roman Empire that fell was notably different from The Roman Empire that evolved majestically over decades from its beginning as the Republic of Rome. Romans in the earliest years defined a culture, a law and a sense of their individual and collective identity. Their basic values and policies were practical and fair. By whatever means they devised laws and practices that could apply to all people. People in surrounding areas admired and accepted the principals and practice of the core entity of Rome. None Romans could become Romans with all the rights and privileges of the original Romans simply by accepting and upholding Roman law and culture. Accepting their responsibilities and obligations was central to enjoying the peace and stability of Rome.
A certain level of conformity was and is necessary to create and maintain a viable society. It is misleading to think all citizens of the Republic of Rome and the Roman Empire looked, acted and thought alike. Yes, they had a symbiotic diversity. But, they believed and accepted the same core values. Jews and Christians, for instance, were not persecuted for their religious beliefs but for their unwillingness to conform to Roman law, which included paying at least lip service to the Emperor as a deity. Problems from the Jews and Christians were little more than pimples on the body of Rome, despite what Gibbon said. Also, it is doubtful the great thinkers of Ancient Greece believed in their pantheon of gods, but accepted them as a necessary nuisance.
The real dilution of Roman society and body politic resulted from the massive influx of Germanic barbarians from at least the fourth century onward. Although many performed good services and rose to significant positions of leadership, most did not know or understand the basic original Roman covenant. For most of them Rome was either a haven of safety or an opportunity to plunder or some combination of both. The spoiled Romans were too self-absorbed to realize how fully they had allowed unintegrated aliens to dominate vital societal functions.
Barbarianism is not confined to a particular ethnic group, race or religion. It basically means “stranger” or perhaps, more accurately “outlaw”. Additionally, barbarianism coveys unwillingness to conform to prevailing mores and behavior, through ignorance or overt rejection.
Untold millions of people have entered the United States in recent years with no knowledge or respect for the fundamental principals of American law or society and many with no intention of becoming citizens. Their projected rate of procreation indicates they and their offspring will soon constitute an enormous proportion of the American population.
Perhaps homegrown barbarians constitute as great a threat as those who arrived from foreign lands. Very likely there presently is more ignorance of American history and ideas than any time since the beginning of the republic. Some choose to remain ignorant. The lack of education of American teachers encumbered by supervisory regulations and personal agendas infuses misguided and counter cultural ideas and behavior. Entertainment with the widest appeal is also often contrary to traditional values or perhaps no values or value. Metaphorically, America is “no longer your father’s Oldsmobile”. While few could believe it, General Motors, a stalwart of the American economy, will no longer produce Oldsmobile in its new role as a subsidiary of the United States government.
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“If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” Thomas Jefferson
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