Something to Ponder

"Rome fell September 4, 476AD. It was overrun with illegal
immigrants: Visigoths, Franks, Anglos, Saxons, Ostrogoths,
Burgundians, Lombards, Jutes and Vandals, who at first assimilated
and worked as servants, but then came so fast they did not learn
the Latin Language or the Roman form of government. Highly trained
Roman Legions moving rapidly on their advanced road system, were
strained fighting conflicts worldwide. Rome had a trade deficit,
having outsourced most of its grain production to North Africa, and
when Vandals captured that area, Rome did not have the resources to
retaliate. Attila the Hun was committing terrorist attacks. The
city of Rome was on welfare with citizens being given free
bread. One Roman commented: 'Those who live at the expense of the
public funds are more numerous than those who provide them.' Tax
collectors were 'more terrible than the enemy.' Gladiators provided
violent entertainment in the Coliseum. There was injustice in
courts, exposure of unwanted infants, infidelity, immorality
and perverted bathhouses. 5th-Century historian Salvian wrote:
'O Roman people be ashamed... Let nobody think otherwise, the vices
of our bad lives have alone conquered us'." ---William Federer