“What are you reading?”
“A new book on the fall of the Roman Empire.”
“Sounds heavy.”
“Oh, it is.”
“What are you learning?”
“The reasons Rome fell were more internal than external.”
“How so?”
“Well, for starters, there was a gradual loss of civic virtue among the citizens of Rome.”
“Civic virtue?”
“You know, the qualities that are important for the success of a society.”
“Like?”
“Like caring more about the common welfare than individual interests.”
“I see. You’re talking about values.”
“That’s right. Romans lost sight of the values Rome was founded on.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“Yeah.”
“What else?”
“Rome entered a dark age, filled with superstition.”
“Superstition?”
“Believing in things that aren’t real.”
“You mean like we believe in things on the Internet?”
“Well, I guess.“
“What else?”
“Romans thought of themselves as superior.”
“A breed apart?”
“Yeah, and they began to feel entitled.”
“Entitled?”
“They had great wealth, but they forgot what it took to achieve it, all the hard work and sacrifice. They took things for granted.”
“That sounds familiar too. What about their economy?”
“Eventually, it collapsed.”
“Why?”
“Lots of reasons. High taxes, out-of-control government spending, a huge gap between the rich and poor. Some of the wealthiest people in Rome even fled to the countryside to avoid the taxman.”
“You mean like billionaires and their tax shelters today?”
“I guess so. Oh, and the empire also faced a severe labor shortage.”
“Why?”
“Remember that entitlement thing?”
“Oh, yeah. Anything else?”
“There was also rampant government corruption and great political instability.”
“How did that happen?”
“Remember that values thing?”
“Oh.”
Silence.
“Do you think the Romans had any idea they were in for a fall?”
“Maybe, but if they did, it was too late. They were once the greatest empire the world had ever known. But by the end, they’d come undone.”
“Poor bastards.”
“Yeah.”
“A new book on the fall of the Roman Empire.”
“Sounds heavy.”
“Oh, it is.”
“What are you learning?”
“The reasons Rome fell were more internal than external.”
“How so?”
“Well, for starters, there was a gradual loss of civic virtue among the citizens of Rome.”
“Civic virtue?”
“You know, the qualities that are important for the success of a society.”
“Like?”
“Like caring more about the common welfare than individual interests.”
“I see. You’re talking about values.”
“That’s right. Romans lost sight of the values Rome was founded on.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“Yeah.”
“What else?”
“Rome entered a dark age, filled with superstition.”
“Superstition?”
“Believing in things that aren’t real.”
“You mean like we believe in things on the Internet?”
“Well, I guess.“
“What else?”
“Romans thought of themselves as superior.”
“A breed apart?”
“Yeah, and they began to feel entitled.”
“Entitled?”
“They had great wealth, but they forgot what it took to achieve it, all the hard work and sacrifice. They took things for granted.”
“That sounds familiar too. What about their economy?”
“Eventually, it collapsed.”
“Why?”
“Lots of reasons. High taxes, out-of-control government spending, a huge gap between the rich and poor. Some of the wealthiest people in Rome even fled to the countryside to avoid the taxman.”
“You mean like billionaires and their tax shelters today?”
“I guess so. Oh, and the empire also faced a severe labor shortage.”
“Why?”
“Remember that entitlement thing?”
“Oh, yeah. Anything else?”
“There was also rampant government corruption and great political instability.”
“How did that happen?”
“Remember that values thing?”
“Oh.”
Silence.
“Do you think the Romans had any idea they were in for a fall?”
“Maybe, but if they did, it was too late. They were once the greatest empire the world had ever known. But by the end, they’d come undone.”
“Poor bastards.”
“Yeah.”
