why ignorance is killing us

Perhaps if someone in the congress or wh took the time to read history they would see the glaring similarity between us and ancient rome. The rich were becoming richer and the rest were slaves or traders trying to get by. The empire had overextended itself and began to eventually neglect the military (the romans guarding hadrians wall went without pay for almost 1/2 yr before they gave up and simply married into the local citizenry). Rome went through a phase of lunatic rulers (nero caligula) same as we are here (rove bush et al)
The search for pleasure and fun reached enormous heights of depravity (arenas and deaths of thousands of animals and gladiators every day)same as now, only this time its tv with gore and blood.

Foreign countries noticed see the decay in Rome and began attacking and harassing the roman troops (goths visigoths gauls etc) just as the arabs are doing now (and i dont blame them. Eventually Rome itself was sacked and the citizens finally woke up and realilzed they werent so invincible or wonderful after all. (hello iraq)
Patricians and the wealthy were above the law (hello bush)while justice for the ordinary citizen usually ended up with a crucifiction or a brief sojourn in the collosseum (minorities and the poor with no money for lawyers end up in jail regardless of what they do).
Oh and one significant event - the increase in prostitution and brothels occurred proportionately with the weakening of the system (hello porno sites everywhere)
Well so much for my ranting

and it's totally distressing, Let's be ever mindful that the power's that be are fundamentally unelected and" take back our country," Another 25 billion for this crap. . . .my butt.!

Rome went over 300 years after the excesses of Caligula and Nero before it was sacked; and in some sense it actually lasted another 1000 years after that, until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In the mean time, the rulers had a ball; so maybe they have read history after all.