History is such a feast of lessons for humanity, if we will take the time to study it. Consider, for example, the famous decline and fall of the Roman Empire. (Perhaps I shouldn’t use the word “famous” since many American students these days are scarcely aware that there was a Roman Empire, much less that it took a bad tumble.) What caused its downfall? For a long time, I have been convinced that the welfare system was the key culprit and this article provides supporting evidence.