"military overstretch" and the eventual decline and fall of empires.

[kansasblue]

US living on borrowed time - and money
By Julian Delasantellis

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/HC24Dj01.html

excellent view of USA debt problem and is future.

[atommom]

1. Good article!

On the first day of class, business teachers like me love to introduce our sleepy students to the concept of TANSTAAFL - there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. The United States may soon be introduced to the concept of TANSTAAFE - there ain't no such thing as a free empire. Specifically, will the nation still think it's so important to control the sands of Samarra, or the streets of Fallujah, or, for that matter, those of Baghdad if, like the signs say in US doctors' offices, "payment is expected at the time of service"?

[German-Lefty]

2. Here's my problem:

They've been saying for a long time the US books are unbalenced and there needs to be an adjustment. It does look like that, but then again it looked like that before. Maybe it can keep going like this for even longer.

[fedsron2us]

3. 'Miltary Overstretch' is an attractive explanation

for the decline and fall of empires but it needs to be treated with a degree of caution. For example, foreign wars were highly profitable for the Roman Empire all the time it was acquiring new territories and resources. They really only started to be a problem when Emperors such as Hadrian abandoned further expansion and set up fixed frontiers. After that time the burden of defending the borders fell entirely upon those living with the limits of the Empire. The economy of the Roman world always struggled to
support the cost of maintaining the legions necessary to defend it. It is arguable that relatively small nations such as the Dutch and English could not have established world empires without a degree of military overstretch. There were many occasions when the British crown struggled to pay for the navy that was the basis of its imperial power. However, as long as the wars were ultimately profitable it did not matter. By contrast once the wars ceased to be self financing, as was the case with the First world war, then the Empire fell apart within less than fifty years. Presumably, the Bush administration believed that Iraqi oil wealth would ultimately cover the cost of their seizure of that country. It looks like they got their sums wrong.