Rise and Fall6/9/21
Rise and Fall?
These are challenging times; and possibly due to a teacher’s deep love of history and appreciation of its lessons, we may recall the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Our nation’s level of division is concerning; and ancient Rome, the greatest empire the world had known, would crumble and fall.
Emperor Romulus Augustus was deposed in 476, an event described as its deathblow. Roman society had consisted of a complex system of patricians, plebians and slaves ruled by an emperor; and wealthy patricians held onto power. When a mass migration of Goth immigrants fleeing from the Hun invasion of northern Europe drove Germanic tribes to the Roman border, starving Goths were offered food in exchange for trading their children into slavery.
Rome’s military had been the envy of the world; but when emperors could no longer recruit from their citizenry, mercenaries were hired. Goth King Alaric sacked Rome in 410, and soldiers who had earned their stripes in the Roman legions were among the forces that stormed the capital.
The empire’s demise is attributed to a civil war, but its level of social and economic
Inequality, overreliance upon slave labor, an infrastructure falling into disrepair, and military overspending are cited as factors contributing to its downfall. Domestic terrorism was also a concern during the Empire’s final years. Emperors were assassinated regularly. More than twenty took the throne in the span of just seventy-five years, accompanied by a Senate unable to address the empire’s problems.
Today we are facing challenges causing many to fear for our democracy. If the fall of the Roman Empire strikes a familiar chord at all, we might look forward to addressing our own level of income inequality, an infrastructure in need of updating and repair, our threat of domestic terrorism, and possibly even military spending more than twice that of the world’s second highest spender, China.
Slavery is no longer an issue, but just one of thirty-seven economically developed OECD nations has a higher rate of poverty than ours. And since our level of income inequality is its highest since our Great Depression, and it might concern us that efforts to raise our minimum wage continue to be blocked.
High levels of income inequality precipitate lower rates of economic growth and social unrest. But Joseph Goebbels was onto something. Repeat a lie over and over, and, particularly when a population is stressed, it’s accepted as truth. We’re reinforcing our beliefs in partisan information silos now, too. Can facts matter under such circumstances?
It would seem to be in our best interests to acknowledge government data. Economists Piketty and Saez reminded us that we have experienced superior outcomes by every positive economic measure during Democratic administrations over the past half century - including more jobs, higher wages and higher household incomes. Our economy continued to move in a positive direction during Trump’s first three years; but, despite his claims, we had created more jobs and our economy had grown more during Obama’s last three. We have yet to see how our next three years will go, but the Biden administration is moving in a positive direction with an approval rating of 62 percent.
We also have an unprecedented number of alternative facts available for our consideration - all reinforced by partisan news sources, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and a political party committed to fueling anger with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
History also reminds us that corruption fuels a fall into autocracy, so there’s a chance truth could prevail before our grandchildren read it in their history books – assuming our democracy survives and they can look forward to that opportunity.
Our forefathers directed us to “promote the general welfare,” and it has been our experience that we all do better when we all do better. Land, our forefathers’ measure of wealth, was made available to our settlers at little or no cost; and our United States of America would become the wealthiest nation on earth.
Autocratic forms of government breed corruption, and extreme levels of income inequality prevailed in South America. Land there was claimed by the wealthy and leased back to settlers. Record numbers are fleeing those nations today.
History favors our democracy, and Patrick Henry offered this advice: “United we stand, divided we fall.”
But on Memorial Day weekend, President Trump’s former lawyer Sydney Powell reiterated, still without a shred of evidence to support his Big Lie, that President Trump must “be reinstated.” QAnon supporters have been praising the military coup that overturned a democratically elected government in Myanmar and calling for one here. Queried regarding this issue, Trump’s pardoned former national security advisor Michael Flynn agreed “it should happen here.”
President Biden honored our fallen soldiers and reminded us, “Each generation of Americans receives the precious gift of liberty. Democracy should be defended at all cost….We have been tested, and we’ll surely be tested further; but I know that we as a people are up to the task.”
Of our efforts to defend our democracy during WWII, Winston Churchill observed, “We can always count on Americans to do the right thing, once every other possibility is exhausted.”
Let us call upon our better angels, so that our grandchildren might recall our history positively.
Carol Voyles of Easton is a member of the Talbot County Democratic Forum (demforum.com)Tags:
"Kutoka kwa ""6"" hadi ""9"" na ""9"" hadi ""9"" na ""9"" hadi ""9"" na ""9"" hadi ""9"" na ""9"" hadi ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9"" na ""9.""" Hizi ni nyakati zenye changamoto; na labda kwa sababu ya upendo wa kina wa mwalimu wa historia na uthamini wa masomo yake, tunaweza kukumbuka kuongezeka na kuanguka kwa Milki ya Roma. Kiwango cha mgawanyiko wa taifa letu ni cha wasiwasi; na Roma ya kale, milki kubwa zaidi ambayo ulimwengu ulikuwa umeijua, ingeharibika na kuanguka. "Mfalme Romulus Augustus alishindwa na kuuawa mwaka wa 476 B.K. kwa sababu ya ""mshtuko wa kifo.""" Jamii ya Roma ilikuwa na mfumo tata wa watu mashuhuri, watu wa kawaida, na watumwa walioongozwa na maliki; na watu mashuhuri matajiri walishikilia mamlaka. Wakati wahamiaji wengi wa Wagothi waliokimbia uvamizi wa Hun wa kaskazini mwa Ulaya walipowafukuza makabila ya Wajerumani kwenye mpaka wa Roma, Wagothi waliokuwa na njaa walipewa chakula ili wabadilishane watoto wao kuwa watumwa. Jeshi la Roma lilikuwa jambo la wivu ulimwenguni; lakini maliki walipoweza kuajiri raia wao, askari-jeshi wa kulipwa waliajiriwa. Mfalme Alaric wa Goth aliangamiza Roma mwaka wa 410 na askari-jeshi waliokuwa wametumikia katika jeshi la Roma walikuwa miongoni mwa wale waliovamia mji mkuu. Kuanguka kwa milki hiyo kunasababishwa na vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe, lakini kiwango chake cha ukosefu wa usawa wa kijamii na kiuchumi, kutegemea sana kazi ya watumwa, miundombinu inayoharibika, na matumizi ya ziada ya kijeshi yanatajwa kama sababu zinazochangia kuanguka kwake. Ugaidi wa ndani pia ulikuwa jambo la kuogopesha katika miaka ya mwisho ya Milki hiyo. Maliki waliuawa kwa ukawaida. Zaidi ya ishirini walichukua kiti cha enzi katika kipindi cha miaka sabini na mitano tu, wakifuatana na Seneti isiyoweza kushughulikia matatizo ya milki. Leo tunakabiliwa na changamoto zinazosababisha wengi kuogopa demokrasia yetu. "Ikiwa kuanguka kwa Milki ya Roma kunapiga chombo cha kawaida, tunaweza kutazamia kushughulikia kiwango chetu cha usawa wa mapato, miundombinu inayohitaji kusasishwa na kurekebishwa, tishio la ugaidi wa ndani, na labda hata matumizi ya kijeshi zaidi ya mara mbili ya matumizi ya pili ya juu zaidi ulimwenguni, ""alisema." Utumwa ni suala la kawaida katika nchi za OECD, lakini ni nchi moja tu kati ya 37 zilizoendelea kiuchumi ambazo zina kiwango cha umaskini cha juu kuliko nchi zetu. """Kwa kuwa kiwango chetu cha usawa wa mapato ni cha juu zaidi tangu Mshuko Mkubwa wa Kiuchumi, inaweza kutuhangaisha kwamba juhudi za kuongeza mshahara wetu wa chini zinaendelea kuzuiwa." Viwango vya juu vya ukosefu wa usawa wa mapato huongeza viwango vya chini vya ukuaji wa kiuchumi na machafuko ya kijamii. Lakini Joseph Goebbels alikuwa na jambo fulani. Kurudia uwongo tena na tena, na, hasa wakati idadi ya watu ni alisisitiza, ni kukubaliwa kama ukweli. Sisi ni kuimarisha imani yetu katika habari silos chama sasa, pia. Je, mambo ya hakika yanaweza kuwa na maana katika hali kama hizo? Inaonekana ni kwa maslahi yetu bora kutambua data ya serikali. "Wanahistoria wa uchumi Piketty na Saez wametukumbusha kuwa tumepata matokeo bora kwa kila hatua nzuri ya kiuchumi wakati wa utawala wa kidemokrasia katika nusu karne iliyopita, ikiwa ni pamoja na kazi zaidi, mishahara ya juu na mapato ya kaya ya juu. """ "Mchango wa uchumi wa Marekani umeendelea katika mwelekeo mzuri katika miaka mitatu ya kwanza ya utawala wa Trump, lakini licha ya madai yake, tumeunda ajira zaidi na uchumi wetu umekua zaidi katika miaka mitatu ya mwisho ya utawala wa Obama.""" """Hatujaona jinsi miaka yetu mitatu ijayo itakavyokwenda, lakini utawala wa Biden unaendelea katika mwelekeo mzuri na kiwango cha idhini ya asilimia 62." """Tuna idadi isiyo na kifani ya ukweli wa mbadala kwa ajili ya kuzingatia - wote kuimarishwa na vyanzo vya habari vya chama, wanatheoria wa njama ya QAnon, na chama cha kisiasa kilichojitolea kuchochea hasira na madai yasiyo na msingi ya udanganyifu wa wapiga kura." Historia pia inatukumbusha kwamba ufisadi huchochea kuanguka kwa utawala wa kimabavu, kwa hivyo kuna nafasi ya ukweli kushinda kabla ya wajukuu wetu kuisoma katika vitabu vya historia - ikidhani demokrasia yetu inadumu na wanaweza kutazamia fursa hiyo. Mababu zetu walituelekeza "kuendeleza ustawi wa jumla", na imekuwa uzoefu wetu kwamba sisi sote tunafanya vizuri zaidi wakati sisi sote tunafanya vizuri zaidi. Ardhi, kipimo cha utajiri wa mababu zetu, ilitolewa kwa wahamiaji wetu kwa gharama ndogo au bila gharama; na Marekani yetu ingekuwa taifa tajiri zaidi duniani. Aina za utawala wa kimabavu huchochea ufisadi, na viwango vikali vya ukosefu wa usawa wa mapato vilikuwa vimeenea katika Amerika Kusini. Ardhi huko ilidaiwa na matajiri na kukodishwa tena kwa wahamiaji. Idadi kubwa sana ya watu wanakimbia mataifa hayo leo. "Patrick Henry alitoa ushauri huu: ""Tukiwa pamoja tunasimama, tukiwa tumegawanyika tunashuka."" ""Lakini mwishoni mwa wiki ya Siku ya Ukumbusho, mwanasheria wa zamani wa Rais Trump, Sydney Powell, alisisitiza, bado bila ushahidi wowote wa kuunga mkono uongo wake mkubwa, kwamba Rais Trump lazima arudishwe." "Mshauri wa zamani wa usalama wa taifa wa Trump Michael Flynn, ambaye amepokea msamaha, alikubaliana na madai hayo, akisema: ""Mashambulizi haya yanapaswa kutokea hapa, Rais Biden aliwaheshimu askari wetu waliokufa na kutukumbusha, kila kizazi cha Wamarekani hupokea zawadi ya thamani ya uhuru." """Tumejaribiwa na hakika tutajaribiwa zaidi, lakini najua kwamba sisi kama watu tuko juu ya kazi,"" alisema Winston Churchill, ""Tunaweza kutegemea Wamarekani kufanya kitu sahihi mara tu uwezekano mwingine wowote umekwisha." Carol Voyles wa Easton ni mwanachama wa Mkutano wa Kidemokrasia wa Kaunti ya Talbot (demforum.com) Tags: