Ozarks Voices
U.S. not likely to go way of Rome
By Joseph Hughes
As a professor of classics, I am always pleased to see Greek and Roman history applied to American public life. Certainly our founding fathers would agree, since they founded our democracy on Greek and Roman models.
But Mel Hancock's suggestion in Jan. 31's Ozarks Voices that oppressive taxation destroyed the Roman Empire is grossly mistaken.
Yes, the Roman Empire had a massive bureaucracy and high taxes. The suffering, though, was not equally distributed. In better times, the major tax burden fell upon the "curial" class of the major cities, made up of the city's wealthiest people. The less wealthy paid lower taxes. But when hard times came, the "curial" class shunned its responsibilities. The government was powerless to stop it.
Rich Romans could always get a total tax exemption by buying a position in the state bureaucracy. Thus, the tax burden fell on the lower classes.
The rich grew richer, and the poor grew poorer -- and less able to pay taxes. Meanwhile, the Roman Empire had less revenue to combat problems like epidemics, social unrest, civil war and barbarian invaders. High taxes did not cause the Roman Empire's decline and fall. They were only a symptom.
Recycling old misconceptions about dead empires will not pull America out of this current bind. We have much to learn from Greek and Roman history, but only in the context of America's unique achievements.
For instance, Roman generals often "resolved" a crisis by declaring themselves Emperor, causing an instant civil war. But America resolved its 2000 electoral crisis with an inauguration. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans rallied behind the president -- whether we voted for him or not. The Greeks and Romans could never imagine such a thing. It is uniquely American.
Mel Hancock fears America may go the way of the Roman Empire. But I see no cause for pessimism. Recalling our Greek and Roman foundations always benefits us -- if we remember also the great things we Americans have already built upon them.
Joseph Hughes is a professor of modern and classical languages at Southwest Missouri State University.
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