The United States of America is fast approaching the peak of its existence. Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds and continues to do so and politically the United States is far more advanced than most countries in the world today. The Ancient Roman Empire was also at its peak before coming to a sharp decline, resulting in a fallen world power that to this day is no more than a figment of the past, a shadow that lurks behind the civilizations of today. Per contra, is the United States truly so far apart from this shadow? Or will the same fate come to us sooner than we imagine? Let us examine for a moment just how similar the U.S. and Ancient Rome are to each other, and if the same cataclysmic events that resulted in the fall or Rome could be possible in our own society. …show more content…
Like Rome, we boast a tolerance for immigrants of all backgrounds, insisting that equality will belong to all within our borders. However, we limit the freedoms and privileges of non-citizens, and we especially punish those who enter the country by illegal means. Imperial Rome treated outsiders the same way, non-citizens of Rome lived in the poorest sections of the city, unable to afford the application for citizenship and thus could not remedy their situation. With this comes a sub-comparison of the destruction of the middle class. Rome’s middle class was overrun by cheap overseas slave labor not long before its fall. The United States has seen a similar decline, specifically in the loss of jobs to workers from overseas who are significantly paid less and have fewer rights. Rather than absorb them into the people group we insist that they are separate, just as Rome tried to
In all, Rome was on a collision course off the maps. Rome was turned against itself and against its surroundings. Along with the dilemma of civil wars, Rome had many emperors who had themselves put to power illegally. The United States too, is set for defeat. Rome, nothing to something eventually fell, this will be the case for the United States as well.
Picture an influential government overflowing with appealing morals, vast acquired land, and a strong military. Does the Roman Empire or perhaps the United States come to mind? This, in fact, describes both civilizations. The striking parallels between the United States and Rome are alarming; particularly the underlying motives of war, the treatment of soldiers post war, and the materialistic values of both societies. With that being said, it is questioned if the United States is on a path towards self-destruction much like the collapse of the Roman Empire around 500 C.E.
When one thinks of great powerful empires and nations of any time, they would think of Ancient Rome. So how would future nations take what the almighty Roman empire had to build their own successful country? After all, the Romans did eventually fall. This means that nations would have to mimic but not copy their exact steps and acts. It is an ultimate mystery of picking and choosing. However, many of the things Rome did were very important. In the United States of America, we see some direct connections from Ancient Rome. These connections have to do with anything from politics, social living, geography, government, sport, and many more. All in all, America would not be the same if it were not for Roman connections.
What makes a country or empire so powerful? Is it a leader, the military, or even the people? These all do. They make a certain connection due to the success of an empire. You can they’re the “Three Musketeers” of one. The old Roman Empire and the United States have that connection. Both were in great power, had prosperity, and were strong in their own unique ways. But what if the United States falls dramatically—just like the Roman Empire did in 476 AD? What would we do? This fall would not be based on mythical angry gods, but our decisions in life today. The political, military, economic, and social judgments we make present day—believe it or not—are based on our future consequences.
When most people think about immigration to the United States, they think of the U.S. as being the “land of opportunity,” where they will be able to make all of their dreams come true. For some people, immigration made their lives richer and more fulfilled. This however, was not always the case. A place that is supposed to be a “Golden Land” (Marcus 116) did not always welcome people with open arms. Even after people became legal citizens of the United States, often times the natural born Americans did not treat the immigrants as equals but rather as outsiders who were beneath them in some way. In some situations, people’s lives were made worse by coming to the “land of opportunity.” Often times people were living no better than they were in their own countries not able to make ends meet, just to live in the United States. Virtually all immigrants during the 1900’s had the same dream, to become successful and provide for their families as citizens of the United States, but they soon found out that the life in their new country was not going to be easy.
The United States cannot afford to lose the economic gains that come from immigrant labor. The economy would be suffering a greater loss if it weren’t for immigrants and their labor contributions, especially during the 2008 U.S. recession. The U.S. economy would most likely worsen if it weren’t for the strong labor force immigrants have provided this country. Despite the mostly negative views native-born Americans have towards immigrants and the economy, their strong representation in the labor forces continues today. Immigrants aren’t taking “American” jobs, they are taking the jobs that Americans don’t want (Delener & Ventilato, 2008). Immigrants contribute to various aspects of the economy, including brining valuable skills to their jobs, contributing to the cost of living through taxes, and the lacked use of welfare, healthcare, and social security when compared to native-born Americans, showing that the United States cannot afford to lose the contribution immigrants bring into the economy.
The United States of America, being a country founded by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people who have overstayed the time granted on their US, visa or those who have broken the federal law by crossing the border illegally. Matt O’Brien stated in his article “The government thinks that 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007.”(Para, 2) While some argue that illegal immigrants burden the United States of America and its economy, others believe that they have become essential and are an important part of the US, economy.
Historical Background: Colonial America and The United States that followed were created by repeated waves of immigration. Those immigrants came from every part of the globe, but particularly from England, France, Germany, and Western Europe. The descendants of this first wave of immigrants would view later immigrants from Italy, Poland, and Russia with a great deal of suspicion and uncertainty. This is not surprising as our country’s uncertainty about immigrants is reflected in our policies. For instance, there were no numerical restrictions or central regulation on immigration until one hundred years after our nation’s founding. When they were finally introduced they were created with bias against would be immigrants from certain countries. Among the first on that list were Chinese laborers followed by immigrants from the Asian Pacific (Ewing, 2012). These restrictions were first adopted in 1921, and were in favor of European immigrants. They would later be followed by national quotas that placed restrictions on immigrants based on existing proportions of the population. A shortage in laborers brought on by World War II would result in lifting those restrictions. This eventually led to a growth in immigration and a change in the origin of those arriving from Europe to Latin America and Asia. As the number immigrants from these countries began to grow, so did the concern about the number of them who were illegal (Ewing, 2012). Resulting policies issued to address those concerns would arguably lead to a resurgence of the problem that they were intended to correct.
The United States, founded by immigrants 238 years ago, continues to be influenced by the presence of migrants. The first wave of immigrants occurred during the colonial era when the majority of Europeans came in search of better economic opportunities, while others sought religious freedom. The early settlers set the pattern for future migrants, who currently come to the United States seeking a better life, one filled with plenty of financial opportunities. According to the American Community Service report of 2012, 40.8 million immigrants, equivalent to 13% of the population, live in our nation. While this figure continues to grow exponentially, Americans remain in constant negotiations about the effects of immigration on the U.S. economy.
The Roman Republic had an upstanding infrastructure, a stable social system, and a balanced constitution that solidified Rome’s greatness. Regardless of its achievements, however, the Roman Republic owes much of its success to classical Greek cultures. These cultures, in conjunction with the fundamental values of Roman society, certified Rome as one of the most significant powers the world has ever seen.
The largest immigrant population in the world has been known to seek plenty of refuge, here in the United States. Although America is only the third most populated country in the world, we are known to be the “most populated” simply because of the growing amount of immigrants that come yearly. The immigration policy that is maintained here in the United States has always been a very argumentative topic. There is plenty to say on the mere and obvious differences in cultural lifestyles and issues, however it is arguable to say that the effects of the economy and immigration are quite easy to understand. Through analyzation of an economic perspective, there has been little to no support that is behind the notion that arrivals of immigrants and their labor practices have had a deliberate and harsh impact on the jobs that are available for Americans. My argument, along with further economic theory predictions and academic
Rome was built on 7 hills far inland to defend self from pirates near the coast and any other enemies on land. U.S has to deal with the same kind of pirates they had and has plenty of hills, for example the 7 hills that are named in Washington D.C.: “Capitol hill, Meridian hill, Floral hills, Forest hills, Hillbrook, Hillcrest, and Knoxhill”. The ones that are fending off the enemies to the Roman population that is about 4 times larger than Greensboro, North Carolina alone or simply fending off the criminals who choose to rob or mug some random citizen in the crowded streets just like in the streets of New York could be poor landless farmers that are under the command of the general that in return are given land to keep as long they are still
The United States was established by immigrants and is still dependent among them; the unfairness towards immigrants is not what the United States was established for— “promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty” is what is stated in the constitution— the government is disregarding a central contribution to the economy, rather than accommodating their needs. Since the early years of America, the country has been known as the “land of opportunity”, with the promise of jobs, land and freedom from persecution. In the nineteenth century the English boarded the Mayflower destined to a country where an individual could commence a new life with an equal chance of success or failure, no matter what country he or she came from (Ewig, 2012). The nineteenth century immigrant view of the United States has not changed much in twenty first century; America is still seen as “the land of opportunity”, however entering the country and becoming a citizen has amount to be more difficult now; laws and bills have been enacted to regul...
“While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall; And when Rome falls - the World.” Lord Byron. This essay will discuss the similarities of military, economics and systems of government between the Roman Empire of the 6th century BCE and the United States of America of the 20th century. History has revealed that all superpowers fall eventually, although much time has passed since the glory days of Rome we see in 2015 the largest superpower in charge, the United States. There are many similarities that can be drawn between the American superpower and the Roman Empire such as the same founding of government and both dominated in military, as well as economic similarities. This leads to the conclusion that because the rise to power between the two powers was so similar, the downfall will be equally parallel.
Immigration in America in recent years has continued to rise steadily. Why? What do they want? Do these immigrants even contribute to society or are they just simply here to do diabolical deeds? Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova assert “In 2013, approximately 41.3 million immigrants lived in the United States, an all-time high for a nation historically built on immigration” (par.1). Every year millions of immigrants migrate into the U.S looking for better job opportunities or searching for freedom that is limited to them elsewhere. Reporter Janelle Ross contends “America is a much more diverse country — in every region — than it was during the last century. That is largely due to the nearly record-topping share of the country 's population that