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[–] syntaxaxe 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

Plus:

-constant devaluation of the currency leading to regular inflation

-unaffordable military adventurism

-a more and more socialist government with growing authoritarian powers, and declining public support

-regularly growing tax rates

-extreme political division

-invasion, first through massive influx of people from other cultures who did not consider themselves Roman first, then from smaller/weaker civilizations declaring war upon them

-Many in the Roman empire welcomed the invaders. Many Roman cities fell to the maurading Germanic tribes without a fight

-Growing celebrity culture, people being obsessed with pop culture nonsense

There are many more comparisons. Stefan Molyneux, though not always having good videos, did a really good video on this. I think the internet provides enough tools to the common man that we could survive, where Rome could not. But we look a lot like Rome just before the fall.

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[–] Osweo 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

a more and more socialist government

lolwat? Amusing that nobody's even hinted at one of the most important factors for the Roman crisis, and indeed for our own times: halting of social mobility and increased wealth divides. And you talk of socialism! :D I suppose this is to be expected in an American-dominated corner of the web, though.

Too few wanted to shed blood for a system that had never given them a chance to have a stake in society, and which had on the contrary ground them down for every penny they could get out of them. And who could blame them? A romanised Gaul or Hispanic might as well pledge allegiance to a Frankish or Gothic king who will actually live in their country and thus be a little more accountable than a distant Emperor in Aquileia or Milan.

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[–] syntaxaxe ago  (edited ago)

"What? The Roman Empire couldn't have been initiating more socialist policies, because over-regulation and welfare states always lead to utopias of equality! Rome had a huge gap in standard of living, with rich oligarchs and an extremely poor dependance class - unlike every socialist utopia ever, of course."

Welcome to the realities of history, my friend.