1600th anniversary of the fall of Rome: Past as prologue?

Thank you, BBC, for reminding us that today, August 24, marks the 1600th anniversary of the sacking of rome by the Alaric and the Visigoths in 410 AD. Far more than a historical footnote, the first invasion of Rome  in eight centuries changed the course of western civilization. In fact, more than one commentator has pointed out parallels to the now-tottering American Empire.

While militarily the USA is still unrivaled, we are overstreched, overspent and leveraged to the gills. I'm just reading Arianna Huffington's Third World America, which paints a picture of a country whose financial, social and political structures are undermining rather than embodying the moral force that once formed the basis for American global leadership.

It's not that you can see the horned helmets of the Barbarians over the walls yet. The core of the structure — the American Middle Class — is what's disappearing. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" has turned into "I Me Mine". Our sharpest political operatives are focused on making minimizing the individual's responsibilities to society — particularly for the wealthiest individuals — rather than promoting a just society where individuals can plausibly achieve the American Dream.

So while we desperately fear The Other — Moslems, the Chinese or the Russians — perhaps the real Visigoths are already past the gates. Maybe they're in Congress, and running Wall Street investment banks. Maybe we should think less about 9/11, and more about 8/24.