The decline of the Roman Empire was a gradual transformation that cannot be dated precisely. Some stepping stones in the path toward the loss of the Western part of the Empire, the weakening of its Eastern part, and the progressive estrangement between the two halves, are nevertheless worth remarking:
The first war with the Visigoths (376 - 382), culminating in the Battle of Adrianople (August 9, 378), in which a large Roman army was defeated by the Visigoths, and emperor Valens was killed. The Visigoths, fleeing a migration of the Huns, had been allowed to settle within the borders of the Empire by Valens, but were mistreated by the local Roman administrators, and rebelled
The second war with the Visigoths, led by king Alaric, in which they raided Greece, and then invaded Italy, culminating in the sack of Rome (410). The Visigoths eventually left Italy, and founded the Visigothic Kingdom in southern Gaul and Hispania.
The rise of the Hunnic Empire under Attila and Bleda (434-453), who raided the Balkans, Gaul, and Italy, threatening both Constantinople and Rome.
The second sack of Rome, by the Vandals (455). effectively ended the Empire that had built the system of aqueducts, the Apian Way, the Forum and the Coliseum.
But there was an internal decay within the Roman populace that contributed to it's fall
The decadence, amorality and the general degradation of the populace resulted in a weak army( Roman Legions) that once conquered the whole of the known world.
A.H Jones wrote: ".the decay of trade and industry was not a cause of Rome’s fall. There was a decline in agriculture and land was withdrawn from cultivation, in some cases on a very large scale, sometimes as a direct result of barbarian invasions. However, the chief cause of the agricultural decline was high taxation on the marginal land, driving it out of cultivation. Jones is surely right in saying that taxation was spurred by the huge military budget and was thus ‘indirectly’ the result of the barbarian invasion."
The argument is made that Rome's loss of her provinces in the fifth century was not an "inevitable effect of any of those features which have been rightly or wrongly described as causes or consequences of her general 'decline.'" The central fact that Rome could not dispense with the help of barbarians for her wars (gentium barbararum auxilio indigemus) may be held to be the cause of her calamities, but it was a weakness which continued to be far short of fatal but for the sequence of contingencies pointed out above. WEAKNESS!!
Roman decadence was the gradual decline in the ancient Roman republican values of family, virtus, and dignitas that ultimately led to the decay of Rome. According to Edward Gibbon, the root of the decadence may have lain within the political system. Sound familiar with what is going on in the halls of Congress and the Supreme court today?
There is no doubt in my mind that Stalin was correct when he said we will not have to conquer you. We will do it from within. I paraphrase his words, but the meaning is still there.
A look at the major Ivy league university faculties will show you that most so called tenured scholars are at the very least leftist socialists and at the extreme, Communists. These are the people who are teaching the next generation of leaders in a Godless, Statist mind set!
The TV is filled with advertisements that just a few years would be considered pornographic. Most of them are adds to increase sexual pleasure for couples, and there is an add that touts a vibrator for women! While the morality of this country is being degraded the value of human life is no longer important thanks to the Supreme Court. There is even a push to force Catholic and other doctors who have a conscience, to make them perform abortions even if their conscience says an abortion is a sin. Not only the doctor is being attacked, but Catholic hospitals may be forced to allow abortions in their Obstetrics departments!
Will the advent of Obama's National Health Plan open the doors to rationing of services and eventually the withholding of treatment to save the lives of older patients? If you increase the number of people who are eligible and able to access the limited number of medical doctors and hospitals were presently have. It is axiomatic that there will have to be rationing of services and preferences for treatment based upon the secular attitude of a persons "worth to society".This has ominous consequences that the Left who are pushing the "government Option" do not want you to think about, nor will the answer questions that are asked as the Town Hall meetings have shown!
And if that does not destroy or individual and States rights they have the Cap and Trade bill that will deliver the knock out blow to our way of life if they can hood wink enough Congressmen and Senators to pass this heinous bill!
These are questions that need to be answered, but getting a straight answer from Obama and his minions is "like pulling teeth"!
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