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The World Socialist Web Site reports
Three US states--New Jersey, Maine, and Illinois--with a combined population of 23 million people entered a new fiscal year [July 1] without a state budget, forcing widespread shutdowns of public services, state offices, and schools, as well as the closure of state parks on the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
In a fourth state, Connecticut, Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy ordered across-the-board spending cuts totaling $2.1 billion after the legislature failed to pass a balanced budget. Malloy's cuts include the elimination of summer youth employment programs and rental assistance for low-income families, as well as a reduction in education funding.
Six more states entered the new fiscal year without a final budget, but without, as yet, any significant shutdown of state services: Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Cuts are to be expected in all of these states if new budgets are not enacted by July 5, the first workday after the holiday.
[...] In a display of elitist arrogance, [Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey] spent the weekend with his family at an official residence in a state park that had otherwise been closed to the public by his own executive order.
[...] In Maine, Republican Governor Paul LePage ordered the first statewide shutdown of government services since 1991 after the legislature failed to bow to his demand that it adopt a new, two-year, $7 billion budget without any tax increases.
In a brazenly antidemocratic action, LePage and Democratic and Republican state legislators had already agreed that the new budget would repeal a measure approved last November by the votes of more than 357,000 people in a statewide referendum. The referendum imposed an additional three percent income tax on the wealthiest state residents--those who make more than $200,000 a year--to increase funding for public education.
Additional Coverage: ABCNews
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bob_super on Wednesday July 05 2017, @04:39PM (7 children)
http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/8-reasons-why-rome-fell [history.com]
There are enough parallels to discuss.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 05 2017, @04:59PM (1 child)
Well as the GOP keeps telling us it's a republic not a democracy, that is no accident get begging to your Don now before all the patronage is taken
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 05 2017, @05:19PM
Do you think this is incorrect? What is your point here?
(Score: 2, Informative) by kaszz on Wednesday July 05 2017, @05:45PM (4 children)
8 Reasons Why Rome Fell [history.com]:
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes
2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor
3. The rise of the Eastern Empire (only to be overrun by the Ottoman empire in the 1400s)
4. Overexpansion and military overspending
5. Government corruption and political instability
6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes
7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values
8. Weakening of the Roman legions
There certainly are systemic similarities..
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 05 2017, @07:14PM (3 children)
8 Reasons Why Rome Fell [history.com]:
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes - Mexicans/Indians/East Asians?
2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor - US Economy and pay of the debt-slaves?
3. The rise of the Eastern Empire (only to be overrun by the Ottoman empire in the 1400s) - China?
4. Overexpansion and military overspending - F22/35/Aircraft Carriers/Multiple Wars in the Middle East
5. Government corruption and political instability - Pick a party/president/politician
6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes - Radical Islam?
7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values - Atheists? Evangelical Christians super-minority?
8. Weakening of the Roman legions - Military personnel doing it for the paycheck rather than to serve their country?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 06 2017, @01:10AM (2 children)
Reasons Why Rome Fell [history.com]: (just some guesses)
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes - Migration of radical Islam and various chaff people. Also foreign nations that under normal circumstances would not stand a chance now seem to have some confidence, which they should not have.
2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor - Spending on projects that will not return anything substantial either in money or other more intangible values, blatant taxation (theft) and reliance on obedient wage slaves which not necessarily are in debt.
3. The rise of the Eastern Empire - Treating skilled people like shit while at the same time sucking up to sociopathic money hoarders. That result in them not consider US as a viable option or simply leave US.
4. Overexpansion and military overspending - Simple trying to be everywhere and do everything - most importantly not realizing ones own limitations.
5. Government corruption and political instability - The cycle of lobbyist bribery and bought power brokers. And courts threatening the population.
6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes - Radical Islam and people that just is a drain.
7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values - Not having a vision or overall goal. Not adhering to sound principles grounded in realities. Seen any blue sky projects lately?
8. Weakening of the Roman legions - Using the military for corporate interests and military contracts that won't benefit anyone except the corporation that get them. This demoralizes and makes the military loose focus on the objectives that are of real importance.
There are some tendencies in the US that are not good for the long term prosperity:
* Virtues that either don't exist or are completely detrimental to prosperity.
* Bad education. It's what is taught (common core?), how it's taught (rote) and the social environment of the school (bullying, authoritarian, central planning).
* Drone like treatment of the workforce.
* People having to plan their life to avoid legal implications rather than getting stuff done.
* Wasting peoples resources to get the basics of life.
* Unfocused decision makers that make decisions based on their personal short term gratification but loosing sight on the overall systematic effects.
There will be future challenges that will demand a full workforce that is both smart and knowledgeable. That can cooperate and is guided by a sound vision. The alternative may be less than a happy one. And this can be bought when the time comes. It has to be prepared.
If there would be a new continent that need filling just like the mass emigration to America during the 1900s. The time is ripe now for a massive brain drain once the opportunity opens up.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday July 06 2017, @01:41AM (1 child)
> If there would be a new continent that need filling just like the mass emigration to America during the 1900s.
Australia's still pretty empty, but getting hotter.
Russia is warming up fast
Antarctica will eventually get there if we keep being selfish.
Otherwise, there's a lot of empty space in the middle of the ocean, and soonish there will be more competition on satellite broadband than landline down my street.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday July 06 2017, @04:33AM
Australia's still pretty empty, but getting hotter.
Russia is warming up fast
Australia and the other English-speaking countries are closely allied with the US, and making the same mistakes or worse.
Russia is much worse off than the US: it's extremely authoritarian, the people are extremely nationalistic, and the economy is a disaster. The only good thing about living in Russia is that they probably won't extradite you to the US, which is something only useful to a small number of people.