There’s a lot of chatter these days about American decline. I haven’t made up my own mind on the subject, but I did find this little cogitation on the decline and fall of the Roman Empire interesting. My only reluctance in linking to it is that Roman history is one of these odd subjects that elicits tons of e-mail from people with their own, far more informed, views on the subject, and I’m reluctant to wade through it all. Still, I’ll take my chances.