The conventional histories blame the decline and fall of Rome on “decadence.” This explanation is transparently wrong. Rome was conquered a century after it had been Christianized and the practices deemed “decadent” had been outlawed. Which means that “decadence” was not, and could not have been, the reason for Rome’s collapse.
There was however a real reason for the failure of Rome. That reason was myopia. In 20 AD, 1800 years prior to the Industrial Revolution, Hero of Alexandria invented the steam engine. Beyond using it to move doors of a few temples, the Romans did nothing with the invention. They thought that slave labor was cheap and abundant enough for them. Because of this disastrous decision, the Romans failed to industrialize; failed to end the horrible institution of slavery in which lived three quarters of the population and which was the real ongoing source of hate and resentment against Roman Empire; failed to make military machines that would have made mincemeat of any invading army; and failed to become the undisputed world leader that they could have been to this day if they had thought ahead.
There are clear and present analogues between Roman Empire at the time of Hero of Alexandria and the world now. Science has made it clear that outdated, destructive, inefficient technologies such as oil and dirty coal are causing a climatic disaster. There are real solutions to this problem, and it does not mean going without technology. It means implementing on a significant scale the advanced, intelligent, abundant energy and water technologies such as the Hydrogen Transmission Network (http://htnresearch.com) – technologies that will make it possible for people to have everything they have now and much more, while vastly reducing pollution and waste.
Of course the people who falsely blame the fall of Rome on “decadence” are the same people who are denying the climatic disaster. The people who cause and take part in creating catastrophes such as global warming would of course relish in apocalyptic ideation. Such a worldview denies reality of the future and gives them the permission to do as much damage as they want to occasion without considering the needs of the people who come after themselves. These are of course the same people who claim to have “family values” and responsibility as they inflict on their children a poisoned planet and hope for an end of all life before their children have reached maturity. These are the same people who claim to be Christians as they blindly destroy what God has created and what they cannot re-create. They have no right to claim family values, and they have no right to claim Christianity.
The world can move from this point in any number of directions. One is to learn the real historical lessons and implement the intelligent, constructive solutions that will extend the future indefinitely and toward better and better places – both for one’s country and for the rest of the world. The other is to go the way of the Romans and fall into decline.
Implementing intelligent, constructive, abundant clean energy technologies will create a liveable world for one’s children, making the efforts that one has expended as parent pay off and be justified in having been made. It will also create a longer and better future for one’s country. Ultimately it is even better for the oil industry. Oil will last longer and be used to make higher-end goods such as plastics and pharmaceuticals, making more money for the oil companies and workers. Clean energy will benefit the economy as much as it will benefit the environment and will be for 21st century what electricity was for the 20th. And from this can be expected only the good, continuing indefinitely and improving life across regions and times.