The American Rome

Lewis Lapham, editor of Harpers has recently spoken in University of Toronto.
He likened the current state of democracy in the U.S. to late-stage Rome. Rome had a republican period in which democracy and public discourse were treasured. Over time, this morphed into the Roman Empire where militarism and dictators ruled.
He says, "It's easier to send aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf than to address real problems in America such as hungry kids, crowded prisons and corporate thieves."
The video of the speech is available.