Drinking Skeptically -- Are We Like the Romans?

Comparisons between the US and Rome abound. Just today I heard a commentator wonder out loud if the US is transitioning from a democracy to an empire in a way that parallels the Roman transition from republic to empire. Another favorite topic is the question of the fall of Rome. What caused it? And are the same factors at work today? Can we learn from history, or can we only watch patterns repeat themselves?

To prime the discussion, take a look at this video from David Frum and Mary Beard.

Also, you might want to familiarize yourself with the thesis Edward Gibbon's book The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. (Anyone who reads the all six volumes gets a free beer). This classic is the starting point of the whole topic.