[Held_to_Ransom]

No state has the inherent right to survive through conscript troops and in the long run, no state ever has. Roman matrons used to say to their sons: "Come back with your shield, or on it." Later on, this custom declined. So did Rome

Nonsense. Rome did just fine with it's army until it tried undercutting their pay too much. That's when they went into the skid. It's true the the Roman Army of Caeser's age was better in many ways, but the hired Germans were fully capable of the work. Above all it was the devastating demise of the gold supply that did it; too much shipped to India for gems for the wealthy to wear.

Hopefully, Congress will pay attention to the lesson and remember to always adequately compensate those who defend the state from her enemies.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

The largest underPAID minority in the USA is the Armed
Forces.

[Williams]

Just a general comment on the article and posts. There is too much misinformation here to respond to it all. But mistaking the 4th crusade's attack on Constantinople in the 1200's, for the fall of Rome itself in the 5th century, probably takes the cake. One of my pet peeves is folks who try to tell you "why" Rome fell. The Decline and Fall Of The Roman Empire tells a 1500 year history of the Western and Eastern Roman Empire. Because it is a great work about mankind in general, there are lessons galore for all of us. But like any 1500 year slice of any part of the earth's history, you cannot come up with a snap reason why it all happened.