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The New Deal in Old Rome How Government in the Ancient World Tried to Deal with Modern Problems LvMI eBook HJ Haskell

Download As PDF : The New Deal in Old Rome How Government in the Ancient World Tried to Deal with Modern Problems LvMI eBook HJ Haskell

The New Deal in Old Rome How Government in the Ancient World Tried to Deal with Modern Problems LvMI eBook HJ Haskell

At first sight a book that attempts to compare a thousand years of Roman Republican and Empire history (the original thousand year reich?) to the dozen years of the New Deal would seem to be stretching the point. But journalist and classicist Haskell succeeds by keeping his references to the New Deal light, he compares various Roman policies to their New Deal equivalents. As such he manages to illustrate how modern and relevant the concerns of the classical writers were. The decline in the study of the classics and ancient history thus perpetuates a strange kind of self imposed modern blindness. In the western world, at the very least, we can never, at least not for the next few thousand years, escape from the shadow of Rome, and attempts to ignore or downplay our Roman heritage, are only more likely to see us repeating Rome's mistakes.

The book is not a critique of the New Deal's economic interventionism and in many areas Haskell endorses, or at least defends, New Deal measures. But it's not a pro-interventionist book either. Haskell is primarily interested in Rome and discussion of modern, or at least, of 20th century concerns is not his goal. Yet he emphasises that "(t)he underlying economic trouble of the Roman system was its failure to provide opportunities for the people to find work through which they might maintain decent minimum standards of living." Haskell sees modern societies as troubled by this challenge too.

What is interesting is Haskell's exploration of how the Empire created radical pressures on the old Roman Republic, exaggerating and maybe even creating, the class conflict, or perhaps more accurately, the caste conflict, ..the Roman classes had taboos against inter-marriage, that dominated the Roman Empire to it's fall. For example, foreign conquest led to an influx of tribute, loot and slaves. This increased the wealth of the great landowners and encouraged them to substitute slave for free labor, whilst undermining the competitive position of the freemen small holders. The Roman 'welfare state' grew in response to these pressures but essentially depended on renewed influx of tribute etc. to underwrite the system. Once the Empire ceased to expand, the infusions of tribute and slaves declined, creating a deep fiscal crisis. Rather than fundamentally reform the system the response was to implement essentially totalitarian economic controls, undermining whatever natural economic vitality remained. This plus the impact of a related demographic decline meant that the barbarians were ultimately able to overwhelm the western empire, although they essentially learned the art of plunder from the violent military autocrats that ruled the Empire after the reign of the 'five good emperors'.

Certainly Haskell's writing is excellent, clear and entertaining. It would certainly provide a great introduction to any intelligent layman, high school student or undergraduate not familiar with Roman history. His chapter Chapter III, "a Tour of Orientation" on it's own, would make an excellent introductory reading assignment for students coming across things roman for the first time. For those already exposed to ancient history his tour de force provides a great integrative overview and interpretation, highlighted by brilliant, and often humorous, nuggets of writing here and there. All of which exhibits am excellent acquaintance of the great classical writers. Here is an example:

"Another shining example of Roman practicality was the development of law. By the middle of the third century before Christ, traders were putting in at Roman ports. Friction arose from the lack of understanding by foreign merchants of the Roman law of contracts. So Rome set up a special court for foreigners in which the practices of other nations were recognized. For the first time the Roman Republic realized that its procedure failed to take into account some of the wider interests of commerce. This was a jolt to local complacency. But under its stimulus the Roman courts directed their efforts to searching out general rules of equity on which decisions might be based. They became convinced that there was a "natural law" whose principles might everywhere be applied."

"It was not until two centuries later that Cicero formulated the Roman practice in words that have had a far-reaching influence upon European history. " True law," he wrote, " is right reason consonant with nature, world-wide in scope, unchanging and everlasting.. . . We may not oppose or alter that law, we cannot abolish it, we cannot be freed from its obligations by any legislature, and we need not look outside ourselves for an expounder of it. This law does not differ for Rome and for Athens, for the present and for the future, but one eternal and unchanging law will be valid for all nations and all times. . . . He who disobeys it denies himself and his own nature."

"Here was laid down the principle of natural rights, so familiar in the eighteenth century, to which Jefferson appealed in the Declaration of Independence. In practice, the principle has proved its value through all the long struggle for human freedom. This paragraph from Cicero, Professor Frank says, "has wrought greater progress in jurisprudence for nearly two thousand years than any other statement of the same length/' Without the Roman law the Roman Empire could not have carried on.""

Haskell's writing style is clear, unpretentious and insightful.If there is a weakness in the book it is that Haskell has little to say about the coming of Christianity to the Empire and what, if any, role it may have played in either the survival or the fall of Rome.


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The New Deal in Old Rome How Government in the Ancient World Tried to Deal with Modern Problems LvMI eBook HJ Haskell Reviews

Classic expample where the past predicts the (our) future. Scary how the Romans even used the same names of some of their out of control government programs.
This is a must read for anyone who thinks governments can't fail. Well written and documented.
If you are interested in how history repeats itself for those who do not learn from it, this is a very revealing comparison between today's economy and what the economy in ancient Rome was like. Especially revealing was how the economy and society evolved from the early republic to Rome's later, declining years...and it similarity to the economy and society in the US today.
A must read for those who enjoy accurate economic history. Very clear writing on the eventual collapse of the Roman empire. From the empire's emergence to its inevitable collapse you will clearly visualize the whole economic picture.
A friend of my tells that now we think in more abstract way as if we could escape the consequences of old time tried bag of tricks when the empire can not squeeze any more blood from the turnip of its dominion. The book written so long ago is prophetic as we can see its messege to unfold through the 65 years from its publishing, and the story is still in the making . Tough the circumstances of Old Rome are much different in many aspects from this day USA yet the core of experience stay relevant today and warns of decline much more rapid than that of Rome. Ultimately, I think the current of technological progress and remnants of political tradition might save us from total ruin experienced by Rome. As a counter view to this excellent book, which I think every person asking about future should read, is a book titled America 3.0 by Bennett and Lotus. New Deal... gives the intimate look into fall of society which could not remake itself. Let us hope that in the time of crisis we will be able to fall on the political and economical tradition of our America 1.0, but of course transformed to its relevance of XXI century. This the only hope there is.
I love this book and wish it hadn't faded into obscurity. It details the problems Rome faced and how they implemented a social welfare state to try and solve them. This book is critical to the still raging debate about the role government should play in the economic lives of the average citizen.
At first sight a book that attempts to compare a thousand years of Roman Republican and Empire history (the original thousand year reich?) to the dozen years of the New Deal would seem to be stretching the point. But journalist and classicist Haskell succeeds by keeping his references to the New Deal light, he compares various Roman policies to their New Deal equivalents. As such he manages to illustrate how modern and relevant the concerns of the classical writers were. The decline in the study of the classics and ancient history thus perpetuates a strange kind of self imposed modern blindness. In the western world, at the very least, we can never, at least not for the next few thousand years, escape from the shadow of Rome, and attempts to ignore or downplay our Roman heritage, are only more likely to see us repeating Rome's mistakes.

The book is not a critique of the New Deal's economic interventionism and in many areas Haskell endorses, or at least defends, New Deal measures. But it's not a pro-interventionist book either. Haskell is primarily interested in Rome and discussion of modern, or at least, of 20th century concerns is not his goal. Yet he emphasises that "(t)he underlying economic trouble of the Roman system was its failure to provide opportunities for the people to find work through which they might maintain decent minimum standards of living." Haskell sees modern societies as troubled by this challenge too.

What is interesting is Haskell's exploration of how the Empire created radical pressures on the old Roman Republic, exaggerating and maybe even creating, the class conflict, or perhaps more accurately, the caste conflict, ..the Roman classes had taboos against inter-marriage, that dominated the Roman Empire to it's fall. For example, foreign conquest led to an influx of tribute, loot and slaves. This increased the wealth of the great landowners and encouraged them to substitute slave for free labor, whilst undermining the competitive position of the freemen small holders. The Roman 'welfare state' grew in response to these pressures but essentially depended on renewed influx of tribute etc. to underwrite the system. Once the Empire ceased to expand, the infusions of tribute and slaves declined, creating a deep fiscal crisis. Rather than fundamentally reform the system the response was to implement essentially totalitarian economic controls, undermining whatever natural economic vitality remained. This plus the impact of a related demographic decline meant that the barbarians were ultimately able to overwhelm the western empire, although they essentially learned the art of plunder from the violent military autocrats that ruled the Empire after the reign of the 'five good emperors'.

Certainly Haskell's writing is excellent, clear and entertaining. It would certainly provide a great introduction to any intelligent layman, high school student or undergraduate not familiar with Roman history. His chapter Chapter III, "a Tour of Orientation" on it's own, would make an excellent introductory reading assignment for students coming across things roman for the first time. For those already exposed to ancient history his tour de force provides a great integrative overview and interpretation, highlighted by brilliant, and often humorous, nuggets of writing here and there. All of which exhibits am excellent acquaintance of the great classical writers. Here is an example

"Another shining example of Roman practicality was the development of law. By the middle of the third century before Christ, traders were putting in at Roman ports. Friction arose from the lack of understanding by foreign merchants of the Roman law of contracts. So Rome set up a special court for foreigners in which the practices of other nations were recognized. For the first time the Roman Republic realized that its procedure failed to take into account some of the wider interests of commerce. This was a jolt to local complacency. But under its stimulus the Roman courts directed their efforts to searching out general rules of equity on which decisions might be based. They became convinced that there was a "natural law" whose principles might everywhere be applied."

"It was not until two centuries later that Cicero formulated the Roman practice in words that have had a far-reaching influence upon European history. " True law," he wrote, " is right reason consonant with nature, world-wide in scope, unchanging and everlasting.. . . We may not oppose or alter that law, we cannot abolish it, we cannot be freed from its obligations by any legislature, and we need not look outside ourselves for an expounder of it. This law does not differ for Rome and for Athens, for the present and for the future, but one eternal and unchanging law will be valid for all nations and all times. . . . He who disobeys it denies himself and his own nature."

"Here was laid down the principle of natural rights, so familiar in the eighteenth century, to which Jefferson appealed in the Declaration of Independence. In practice, the principle has proved its value through all the long struggle for human freedom. This paragraph from Cicero, Professor Frank says, "has wrought greater progress in jurisprudence for nearly two thousand years than any other statement of the same length/' Without the Roman law the Roman Empire could not have carried on.""

Haskell's writing style is clear, unpretentious and insightful.If there is a weakness in the book it is that Haskell has little to say about the coming of Christianity to the Empire and what, if any, role it may have played in either the survival or the fall of Rome.