You are correct. Further research shows several variations (is it referencing 'who you walk with') from various stages of antiquity, one even being biblical. It is attributed to Paterno in some sources and the form 'a wise man once told me' in your quote made a contemporary source seem more likely
I learned on INGO that gold always holds its value and is immune to the fluctuations of the evil fiat currency. What was Rome's currency again? Inflation is a symptom, not a disease. Rome's economic engine required expansion, as already outlined. Expansion required more and more military forces. The military forces and cost of occupying became more than the gain from expansion. Stall, fall, splat, goes the economy. Plus, seriously, the whole slave thing. Tough for paid labor to compete against slaves in a no skill labor force...which is what the vast majority of jobs are, particularly in a agrarian society.
Moral failures? Ok. When was the peak of the US moral superiority? When we could own people? When we merely allowed lynch mobs and segregation? Morals have changed, but declined? That's a hard sell.
You could easily make the argument that government UNDERreach doomed the Romans. They were too big for their britches and couldn't coordinate economically (tax collection, for example) or militarily, which led to dissolving into smaller nation states, which led to the issues already discussed.
Looking back at the Empires of past centuries, it is difficult to draw equivalence. Typically, those empires controlled the colonial governments, subjugated the peoples and exploited them for economic benefit. The worst is probably Great Britain and the opium trade in China. Despicable.
Having said that, the pursuit of economic profits overseas should be watched carefully. There is no doubt that, left to their own devices, corporations will perform as poorly and with less morality even than Britain. We are a country of law, first and foremost. But what that means to multi-national corporate activities in the 21st century is anyone's guess.
ps. I wish we would stop talking about our "exceptionalism". No one likes a braggart. And the politicians who say it the most are the least "exceptional".
Have I ever mentioned I hate Dallas? Used to travel there often.You've obviously never met anyone from Texas.
I see it as critically important that for the purposes of this discussion we NOT conflate the quality of morals with the inclusiveness of morals. While today our societal morals apply far more equally to all than in times past, the quality of those morals has declined severely.
Exceptionalism. We don't usually talk about it until someone tells us we shouldn't say it.
That term seemed to be all I heard from the GOP last presidential primary, not so much this year. Probably too many syllables, the term might be alienating to Trumps supporters. That said it's a harder sell that Obama has ruined our country but that we are still exceptional.
...and you there, reveling in its decline the entire time.
It's a really big leap to suggest that people who disagree with you enjoy the idea of doing harm to their homeland. It's also a leap that I've seen made a lot over the past 7 years.