Rome: Barbarians from the north, roads fell into disrepair, values eroded, reliance on the govt., laziness prevailed, etc.
>Rome: Barbarians from the north, roads fell into disrepair, values eroded, reliance on the govt., laziness prevailed, etc.
Actually the western empire tried taxing people beyond the Laffer maximum for almost a 100 years. Ultimately the rich dodged the taxes, the poor didn’t pay any and the middle class was taxed into extinction. Banditry became a prime middle class job because A) no taxes, B) got to rob the super rich who paid nothing. The empire tumbled into decline as it destroyed the middle class.