I have to agree with Mike that your closing argument doesn't do much to disprove purported similarities between the US and Rome before it's collapse.

Nonetheless, to stay on topic, the original article is far too thin to justify even a as much effort has been expended on the specific issue of 21'st century USA as a new Roman Empire.

The other points, that we're on the path towards a serious, potentially devastating crisis, also aren't new. Many of us have been saying that for years, unsurprisingly.

It's nice that the C.G. is stepping up like this, I applaud it, but spurious analogizing doesn't help the point get made. I mean really, the fall of Rome? How many people have more than a passing knowledge of it? It's too abstract. Unfortunately, for most people in the US, all descriptions of true social collapse are too abstract. I can only hope he manages to convince a few people in a position to do something with the knowledge. The rest of the country is too stupid, clearly.

RE: FT.com / World - Learn from the fall of Rome, US Comptroller warns