America - The Modern equivalent to the Ancient Roman Empire? Where do the poor and homeless fit?

a reply to: misskat1

I didn't want to be "that guy" but I don't see anyone else saying it, so maybe it's not as widely known as I assumed. We have about 650,000 homeless in America.With a population of about 319 Million, that gives us a homeless percentage of 0.2%. Of those over half are already in Shelters or Housing assistance. so that means our actual homeless problem is less than 0.1% of the total Population, which equates to give or take 275,000 people.

My Point is two fold:

1. We are doing a pretty good job in America of making sure we don't have homeless.

2. If we REALLY wanted to take care of the homeless problem, it would be easy enough to do as it isn't that much of the population.


Fun Fact: There are currently 18 Million Empty Vacant Homes. So if the Government really wanted to, they could easily buy up houses for homeless people.

"All roads lead to Rome"

It goes without saying; Rome never truely fell, just converted and created today's blueprint of society.

We live like Romans, just more passively ...

Moore's law has made every single person on the face of this Earth better off than years ago. It will only get better. Everything will cost less. Look at all the Asians who are living the dream! My life is better than the 70's. We're all better off. You better adapt to what's coming. The people who couldn't adapt back during the great depression had it hard. Old jobs are going away and new one's will take their place. Get on it!

I think it more likely at present that we are watching the collapse of the Republic into an Imperial phase rather than the collapse of the whole thing.

I may be mistaken if the whole world economy breaks down, but right now, I see far more comparisons to the things that were going on at the end of the Republican Age, the Rise of Caesar, and the beginning of the Imperial Roman Empire with Octavian.

a reply to: ketsuko

At today's fast pace, how long until the imperial phase turns into the fall?

I think your POV is correct, but how long until it degenerates into a modern day fall of our empire? I think that somehow it could happen much quicker these days.

originally posted by: Dimithae
a reply to: misskat1

I think the future for these people is in tiny houses with eco friendly power. They have to go somewhere,you can't just tell a homeless person to "move along". In time there is no where to go to anymore.Then they get angry and bad things happen.As far as I am concerned,as long as there are homeless people on the streets,we are no better than a 3rd world nation. With all of our technology,money,land.There is no reason for people to be living on the streets.

I used to be a supporter of the tiny home movement, and I looked seriously into one of the shipping container homes. For a couple years I lived in a studio apartment that was a little over 100 sqft in size. To me it was a jail cell, in reality it wasn't much bigger than one. After getting the opportunity to move to a larger apartment, roughly 6x the size (plus a yard!) I have realized just how bad an environment the tiny home is. Perhaps as a result of my previous apartment, in my current one, my decorating tastes probably seem off to others. I sleep in a walk in closet, my bedroom is completely free of everything, it looks like the day I rented it. And my living room has nothing more than a chair, and computer stand. The reason for this is that I like to just sit and enjoy the space. I spent years in a very small place, there is a lot to be said for having the room to move around, it's like a horrible constricting tube ceases to be tied around your next and body.

People, especially the homeless who are accustomed to being outdoors need space. I'm not saying everyone needs a mansion, and really I don't think the size of the space you sleep in is too big a concern but the rest of your shelter is. You need some square footage for land area to move around, stretch your legs, and maybe put a possession or two down. But after seeing the transformative power in my own life of just getting a little bit of space I think that, that is what the homeless need. Setting them up in tinyhomes is like setting them up in gilded jail cells.

I wonder what the specs are on the apartments Utah gives the homeless.

originally posted by: PsychoEmperor
a reply to: misskat1

I didn't want to be "that guy" but I don't see anyone else saying it, so maybe it's not as widely known as I assumed. We have about 650,000 homeless in America.With a population of about 319 Million, that gives us a homeless percentage of 0.2%. Of those over half are already in Shelters or Housing assistance. so that means our actual homeless problem is less than 0.1% of the total Population, which equates to give or take 275,000 people.

My Point is two fold:

1. We are doing a pretty good job in America of making sure we don't have homeless.

2. If we REALLY wanted to take care of the homeless problem, it would be easy enough to do as it isn't that much of the population.


Fun Fact: There are currently 18 Million Empty Vacant Homes. So if the Government really wanted to, they could easily buy up houses for homeless people.

Shelters and housing assistance don't fix it all. That just gets people off the streets without fixing the underlying reasons they're homeless in the first place. Some are in worse places than others. Perhaps I'm being idealistic, but there was a story shared here a few months back about a man who was trying to help a person that was homeless, and he helped him with an offer: $x now or a small computer and computer programming lessons. The man took the lessons. Then I thought to myself, that I would like to do that to someone. I don't have the laptops to give away, but I do have some self booting OS's on flash sticks that can be used at the local library. A short time later I found some homeless people and explained I'm a programmer, and would like to teach them the skill for free so they could stop being homeless. I was turned down by them all... Perhaps another time.

Here is Wikipedia's take on the Roman Republic and later Empire.

The Roman Republic . . .

was the period of ancient Roman civilization beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom, traditionally dated to 509 BC, and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire.

The Republic lasted approximately 482 years.

Wiki goes on to say that the Western Roman Empire period lasted from about 27BC to 476AD, Approximately 503 years.

If American Imperialism is the expression of empire in the United States, here is the Wiki take on that.

American imperialism is the economic, military, and cultural influence of the United States on other countries. Such influence often goes hand in hand with expansion into foreign territories. Expansion on a grand scale is the primary objective of an empire, a notable example being the British Empire. The concept of an American Empire was first popularized during the presidency of James K. Polk who led the United States into the Mexican–American War of 1846, and the eventual annexation of California and other western territories via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden purchase

So if our Republic became an imperial power, AKA empire, starting in 1846, then we had 70 years from Republic to Empire. That would mean that the Roman Republic lasted around 7 times longer than ours. If this is an indication of how long our Empire might last in comparison, then it should have only lasted only another 72 years after 1846, meaning we should have fallen by 1918. But if we consider it wasn't until after WWII when we became a world empire, it took around 170 years from republic to empire, with the Roman Republic lasting about 3 times longer. Based on those figures our empire should last about 168 years. So we should have about another 100 years before the fall of our empire if we can make such comparisons.

Of course there were many reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire and a point by point comparison would at least show what needs to happen next before the U.S. falls like the Roman Empire did. Then we would need to estimate how soon the next events will take place to get an idea of how long that might take.

The poor will be soldiers.

Ask 47 year old Milton Hall shot 47 times over a stolen cup of coffee about where homeless people fit in in America

a reply to: misskat1

The solution to the poor and homeless would be NOT to rely on government for solutions.

Easier said than done, I know.

But it has to start somewhere. Now, people are too reliant, so reliant on government that it would be easier for a heroin addict to go cold turkey than it would, et off government "help".

a reply to: misskat1

Why would you want to compare The U.S. to the Roman Empire ?

When it came to Empire's, Rome comes in at a lowly 28th for size. I would have thought the U.S. would wanted to compare itself to the greatest Empire. The British Empire.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: misskat1

Why would you want to compare The U.S. to the Roman Empire ?

When it came to Empire's, Rome comes in at a lowly 28th for size. I would have thought the U.S. would wanted to compare itself to the greatest Empire. The British Empire.

It's all the same thing.

originally posted by: LOSTinAMERICA

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: misskat1

Why would you want to compare The U.S. to the Roman Empire ?

When it came to Empire's, Rome comes in at a lowly 28th for size. I would have thought the U.S. would wanted to compare itself to the greatest Empire. The British Empire.

It's all the same thing.

Hardly.

The Roman Empire was not interested in Nation Building.

originally posted by: alldaylong

originally posted by: LOSTinAMERICA

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: misskat1

Why would you want to compare The U.S. to the Roman Empire ?

When it came to Empire's, Rome comes in at a lowly 28th for size. I would have thought the U.S. would wanted to compare itself to the greatest Empire. The British Empire.

It's all the same thing.

Hardly.

The Roman Empire was not interested in Nation Building.

Roman Conquest of Britain

a reply to: LOSTinAMERICA

I haven't a clue why you posted that link.

Can you enlighten me.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: LOSTinAMERICA

I haven't a clue why you posted that link.

Can you enlighten me.

All roads lead to Rome.

a reply to: LOSTinAMERICA

Again hardly.

When where The Romans ever in China, India, The Far East etc.

They only got as far as parts of Europe and North Africa.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: LOSTinAMERICA

Again hardly.

When where The Romans ever in China, India, The Far East etc.

They only got as far as parts of Europe and North Africa.

Why would you want to compare The U.S. to the Roman Empire ? I would have thought the U.S. would wanted to compare itself to the greatest Empire. The British Empire.

That

originally posted by: PsychoEmperor
a reply to: misskat1

I didn't want to be "that guy" but I don't see anyone else saying it, so maybe it's not as widely known as I assumed. We have about 650,000 homeless in America.With a population of about 319 Million, that gives us a homeless percentage of 0.2%. Of those over half are already in Shelters or Housing assistance. so that means our actual homeless problem is less than 0.1% of the total Population, which equates to give or take 275,000 people.

How are there only 650,000 homeless in America, yet over 1.2 million homeless students?

www.usnews.com...

HUD's numbers must not include homeless people who "couch surf" or live in motels. And why is the count performed on a single night in January, when it is coldest? I'd bet the official numbers of homeless in America would be dramatically higher if they performed the count in the spring or summer, or more frequently than just one night.