http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/course...14romefell.html
"Originally, this was passed out once a month. By the time of Marcus Aurelius, there was a daily distribution of pork, oil, and bread to the proletariat. Meanwhile, the expenditure on the public spectacles kept mounting. A hundred million dollars a year is a moderate estimate of what was poured out on the games. There was likewise an attempt to combine subsidy to Italian farmers with charity to needy children. This was called the alimenta and was instituted by Nerva, who reigned from 96 to 98 AD. His system was to lend money at five per cent instead of twelve per cent to farmers with the proviso that the interest should be used to support needy children. Boys received seventy cents a day, girls sixty. And then there was the army. The army was essential to the security of the empire. The cost of it, though, more than doubled between 96 and 180 AD.

All these expenditures had to be recovered from the taxpayer. To compound the difficulties, there was an adverse balance of trade. Roman currency, for example, poured into India and the East to pay for luxuries. Even in the time of Nero, Seneca estimated that it cost Rome five million dollars a year to import its luxuries from the East. In a word, though seemingly prosperous, in the second century AD the Roman empire was overspending to such an extent that it was moving to an economic crisis. When in 167 AD Marcus Aurelius was faced by the attack of the Germanic Marcomanni and Quadi, he was forced to sell, is it were, the crown jewels as well as the household furnishing of his palace to finance the war.
"

could apply to todays:
1) welfare system
2) farm subsudies
3) trade defecits with bulk of US money ending up in China and India


Meni, relax, Democrats AND Republicans pull the country in the wrong direction.

Where is Ross Perot?

the religious right is fuckin nuts
not the dems

if you can't see that BOTH parties are full of nuts,
you are BLIND

if you can't see that BOTH parties are full of nuts,
you are BLIND[/b][/quote]
the lesser of 2 evils

and Bush is the worse
you will see jackass
let the years go by
and we'll talk about the worse president in our lifetime

the lesser of 2 evils

and Bush is the worse
you will see jackass
let the years go by
and we'll talk about the worse president in our lifetime[/b][/quote]
Carter....ineffective inflation monger
;-))))

Carter....ineffective inflation monger
;-))))[/b][/quote]
my life time grandpa

"Serge, read this and you might want to rethink your earlier post. You might even be perceptive enough to draw a few economic parallels here."

That was what I posted on another thread. What happened? The light bulb finally fire up....all 40 watts? You make JMM look like a freekin genius.
Truly pathetic. You do this just for impressions?
Maybe you should just rename this board "Lifestyles of the rich and stupid".

I've likened the US to the fall of Rome for years.. the bread and games culture.. the last ditch attempts at expansion.

Empires come, empires go, I think the US empire is on the wane. It may take another century to totally erode, but I do believe they've had their hayday. It's now someone else's turn.

My bet is on the chinese rising again.

"Serge, read this and you might want to rethink your earlier post. You might even be perceptive enough to draw a few economic parallels here."

That was what I posted on another thread. What happened? The light bulb finally fire up....all 40 watts? You make JMM look like a freekin genius.
Truly pathetic. You do this just for impressions?
Maybe you should just rename this board "Lifestyles of the rich and stupid".[/b][/quote]
ok, dude

http://okdude.com

Europe and Canada are WAY ahead of us....
;-)))

and after terrorists rule them,
we just nuke 'em
;-))

http://okdude.com

see above
;-)

answers your and mine concerns as well
;-)))

The Americans live in a Superpower daydream. The Chinese already own the US economy and could put America into an economic depression with the stroke of a pen. They are using American greed as a weapon and the Americans are getting blindsided. In a war of attrition, the US loses. That is just the facts jack.

The Americans live in a Superpower daydream. The Chinese already own the US economy and could put America into an economic depression with the stroke of a pen. They are using American greed as a weapon and the Americans are getting blindsided. In a war of attrition, the US loses. That is just the facts jack.[/b][/quote]
ok, dude

http://okdude.com

ok, dude

http://okdude.com

Europe and Canada are WAY ahead of us....
;-)))

and after terrorists rule them,
we just nuke 'em
;-))

http://okdude.com[/b][/quote]
Serge, you are ranting and making no sense. May I suggest breathing into a brown paper bag? Your apoplexy is always amusing.

ok, dude

http://okdude.com

come on Morty, post the url one more time. Show us what you got. You know, not all "Russians" this stupid. I lived in Moscow (have you been there?) for three years and I understand why you couldn't make the cut. I know you gotta post the url because you worked all afternoon on it.

ok, dude,
http://okdude.com/

OK

no, it's OK DUDE

http://okdude.com/

Uh huh.

Uh huh.[/b][/quote]
how long is gonna take you to make ZEROth post?

how long is gonna take you to make ZEROth post?[/b][/quote]
You tell me.

You tell me.[/b][/quote]
never,
you be in the minuses for all your life
;-))

ok, dude?

http://okdude.com

never,
you be in the minuses for all your life
;-))

ok, dude?

http://okdude.com[/b][/quote]
Could you repeat that in English?

sure
http://okdude.com

go ahead. Give it a shot.

go ahead. Give it a shot.[/b][/quote]
I don't shoit mental patients

Ross Perot made his fortune being on the receiving end of governent (tax payer) money to fund various boondoggles and "public works" scams. Where is he now? Probably racing across his private lake in his superboat against his son who flew his helocopter and lost all the time.

I don't shoit mental patients[/b][/quote]
Ok, then give it a shoit. Ya gotta stay away from that cheap vodka.

I don't shoit mental patients[/b][/quote]
Nice avatar dudesky. Business not doing well?

Ok, then give it a shoit. Ya gotta stay away from that cheap vodka.[/b][/quote]
h,,,,pills and electroshock failed...

what was the year your got laid the last time?

h,,,,pills and electroshock failed...

what was the year your got laid the last time?[/b][/quote]
Oh I think it is safe to say a lot more than you.

Oh I think it is safe to say a lot more than you.[/b][/quote]
we finally getting somewhere...are you a stunt cock?

we finally getting somewhere...are you a stunt cock?[/b][/quote]
No, Morty, you are getting nowhere.

impotent?

Your English is failing you again. It is spelled "important."

Your English is failing you again. It is spelled "important."[/b][/quote]
ok, dude, I got it..
Mental Impotent who thinks he is important...


I doubt they ever find cure for you in your lifetime
;-)))

ok, dude, I got it..
Mental Impotent who thinks he is important...


I doubt they ever find cure for you in your lifetime
;-)))[/b][/quote]
You wish. Nice try. Give it another shoit.

You wish. Nice try. Give it another shoit.[/b][/quote]
sure...I see you liked that one, hit between the eyes
;-)))

sure...I see you liked that one, hit between the eyes
;-)))[/b][/quote]
Morty, you are not making any sense.

Nations will come and go. When and where though, we do not know.

One thing seems quite evident though. The world is becoming more prosperous and not less so. The driving forces are technology and the pursuit of wealth. For all we know, quality of life will only continue upward.

I will bet that when America's time in the Sun is over it will not be because of mismanagement of economics at home but rather because of population demographics elsewhere. China, India, or some other mega-population country will narrow the gap in GDP per capita because of increasing free-market ideals and technology. That combined with triple the US population will permit them to match the US in total GDP and so eventually build an equivalent military apparatus.

Gloom, despair, and agony on me! (WOE!)

Deep, dark depression, excessive misery! (WOE!)

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. (WOE!)

Gloom, despair, and agony on me!