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Oct 2024
45m 55s

Is America collapsing like Ancient Rome?

Vox
About this episode
What can ancient Rome teach us about American democracy? The Roman Republic fell for a lot of reasons: The state became too big and chaotic; the influence of money and private interests corrupted public institutions; and social and economic inequalities became so large that citizens lost faith in the system altogether and gradually fell into the arms of tyra ... Show More
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