This does not have to happen, but unfortunately the corruption of DC has made it powerless to stop it. Probably was the same with Rome.
I think in the case of Rome it was much worse. The whole of Roman society was much further advanced in its crumbling. We are I believe at a tipping point. We either stop and take a different path or we head to what will eventually be revolution. What we are seeing right now in the US is very much like what led up to our first Revolution. The British leaders of the time were absolutely clueless of why the colonists would not submit to them and by the time they might have realized it it was too late. Right now there are many in both parties which includes the vast majority of the political class who just don’t get it. They don’t understand that we the people are sick and tired of the double standard where the law is disregarded and the citizen suffers.