[anon4984]

> This is still a huge stretch and I don't think modern America is very comparable to Rome.

How did you arrive at the idea that I am trying to establish equivalence or close comparabilty? The point of this writing is not that, but to suss out similar aspects, and see what we can learn from them. In particular I was exploring the populism aspect (as is reflected in the title), specifically the part where Free Trade impoverished the middle class and alienated people from elites, thus creating fertile ground for populism. Surely that is comparable?

[ceilingcorner]

The flaw in the comparison is that America is largely built on its middle class, while no such thing existed in Rome. You would need the middle class to erode into a working class for the sociopolitical system to be similar.