Oh it definitely came from within in Rome's case, too. Opportunistic, backstabbing senators focused solely on short-term personal gain & the descendants of barbarians allowed to reach high up into the top ranks of Roman society killed every single remotely effective leader who tried to turn things around for Rome. Such was the fate of great men whose greatness was cut short like Stilicho (incidentally a half-barbarian himself), Flavius Aetius and Majorian.
If it weren't for the absolute worthlessness of the Roman political class and the complacency of its citizens, grown so soft and hollow-spirited that they'd rather keep their heads down & go along with the flow than try to resist their new barbarian overlords, Rome could have endured for another thousand years. As it did in the more energetic and less degenerated East, which had the good sense to purge the problems it shared with the West before it was toppled.
Many civilizations suffered the same fate for the same reasons; including the Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Spanish, Ottoman, British and Russian empires. Every one of them entered a period of decadence wrought with selfishness, materialism, corruption and a loss of a sense of duty and purpose. Every one of them also had a very pervasive presence of elites and intellectuals before their downfalls.
In two hundred years people will blame outside forces for this too. Chinese psyops, russian propaganda, anything so they don't have to think about the uncomfortable truth that they're just as able to have society fall as we are.
It feels like the last days for sure.
The big difference between this and Rome is that it comes form inside.
Oh it definitely came from within in Rome's case, too. Opportunistic, backstabbing senators focused solely on short-term personal gain & the descendants of barbarians allowed to reach high up into the top ranks of Roman society killed every single remotely effective leader who tried to turn things around for Rome. Such was the fate of great men whose greatness was cut short like Stilicho (incidentally a half-barbarian himself), Flavius Aetius and Majorian.
If it weren't for the absolute worthlessness of the Roman political class and the complacency of its citizens, grown so soft and hollow-spirited that they'd rather keep their heads down & go along with the flow than try to resist their new barbarian overlords, Rome could have endured for another thousand years. As it did in the more energetic and less degenerated East, which had the good sense to purge the problems it shared with the West before it was toppled.
Many civilizations suffered the same fate for the same reasons; including the Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Spanish, Ottoman, British and Russian empires. Every one of them entered a period of decadence wrought with selfishness, materialism, corruption and a loss of a sense of duty and purpose. Every one of them also had a very pervasive presence of elites and intellectuals before their downfalls.
In two hundred years people will blame outside forces for this too. Chinese psyops, russian propaganda, anything so they don't have to think about the uncomfortable truth that they're just as able to have society fall as we are.