Roman Strength by the Roman Military Industrial Complex

Dom1 · #31 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noneof yourbusiness

Also I know they were thinking that using private soldier made those soldiers actions separate from goverment policy.

I think this has more to do with it than the other stuff you said. I don't see why we need mercenaries in iraq or anywhere else for that matter.

TakuanSoho · #32 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam

When the Roman military began using the barbarians to fight their wars the military did begin to collapse. Do you think part of the reason Rome had to use mercenaries was because as Rome became more civilized the common man did not want to spend his life invading and fighting brutal wars?

Do you think their is any analogy to be made that America now uses mercenaries like Blackwater and also foreign hired guns?

The Romans used "barbarians" for hundreds of years before they collapsed. They had to because as the Empire grew they no longer the "native" stock to guard their extended frontiers.

The Romans also had a pretty good track record of absorbing various barbarians, and the Eastern Roman Empire stood for another 1,000 years by using the surrounding barbarians in the same capacity.

What caused the West to fail was more very very bad leadership and a period of civil war which weakened the country from within.

Dom1 · #33 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TakuanSoho

The Romans used "barbarians" for hundreds of years before they collapsed. They had to because as the Empire grew they no longer the "native" stock to guard their extended frontiers.

The Romans also had a pretty good track record of absorbing various barbarians, and the Eastern Roman Empire stood for another 1,000 years by using the surrounding barbarians in the same capacity.

What caused the West to fail was more very very bad leadership and a period of civil war which weakened the country from within.

But I think her point is that the barbarians being used at this time were not absorbed into the empire, they were people who were autonomous. Not only that, I don't think the barbarians wanted to be absorbed.

Augustus foresaw this problem and passed a series of laws which would alleviate part of this problem of not having enough native Roman stock, but it didn't take.

noneof yourbusiness · #34 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 08:05 PM

The complacinacy in goverment corrutption wil eb Americas downfal im sure it had much to do with Rome's as well.

IF the citzens were truly invovled in goverment beyond casting a meaningless vote if they even do that, this country wuld be in much better postion right now.

smart makes a comeback · #35 (**permalink**) 06-15-2008, 03:18 PM

More then any single factor, Rome fell because of the decline of their public institutions, a lesson 21st century America would do well to learn

Can anyone say "Blackwater" or "Halliburton" ?