What brought Rome down wasn’t invasion—it was illusion, pride, and distraction. Today’s powers follow the same script: feeding people entertainment, ignoring deep cracks, and glorifying surface strength. With leaders mistaking performance for progress, they walk the same path. What they build this way, they are destined to lose.
Rome was not built in a day — the same goes for its fall. Who would have imagined that the mighty Romans could collapse? Yet, they did. The recent attitude shown by world leaders such as Trump and Modi suggests they have taken their power and the people's faith in the political milieu for granted. But little do they know — their atrocities will fall too, just like what happened to the Romans, the Nazis, and the Pharaohs.
“When they say, ‘Give them bread and entertainment and they won’t revolt,’ this is the time we should truly ponder its relevance.” There are countless examples today where our mouths are shut and our hearts are sealed by carefully designed distractions. In India, it's the IPL, the endless debates on Aurangzeb’s legacy, the overreactions to comedians, and, of course, the religious dogma and polarised propaganda embedded in films — not by accident, but often promoted by none other than the Prime Minister himself.
The same holds true for the U.S. and Europe. Who isn’t happy watching the Champions League, the Super Bowl, or worshipping a singer turned into a god-like figure — Taylor Swift comes to mind. In the political landscape, when the public is fed a narrative of hate — especially against immigrants or Muslims — who’s left to ask questions? Who dares to care?
Now, when we’ve seen how modern civilizations are drugged by their leaders, we must remember: the collapse of the Western Roman Empire is often recalled as sudden, but it was a slow disintegration — caused by economic illusion, internal corruption, and leaders focused more on spectacle than substance. Modern superpowers mirror these traits.
India shows fast growth and loud pride, but beneath it is a weak foundation — low tax depth, deep inequality, rural unrest, and rising youth unemployment. Rather than building institutions, the government leans on cultural pride and symbolism, deflecting attention from real structural issues. National distractions fill the void where real economic policy should be.
In America, public services decay while debt climbs year after year. Nostalgia replaces reform, and leaders, especially Trump, thrive on short-term theatrics over long-term thinking. Like Rome’s emperors, who debased currency and held tight to rituals while the empire fractured, American politics today projects strength while ignoring deep internal weakness.
The EU seems orderly, but within, it struggles with contradictions — rich nations don’t want to share, poor ones feel left out, and emotional unity is thin. All these leaders, drugged by their narratives, turn to performance instead of repair. Modi’s grand vision and Trump’s revivalist drama may excite crowds, but both ignore the weakening foundations under their slogans. Rome didn’t fall when the barbarians arrived — it fell when its rulers stopped building and started performing. And if today’s powers confuse spectacle for strength, their downfall may already be unfolding.
Rayyan Rashid is a student pursuing English Literature at Jamia Millia Islamia
Edited by: Khadija Khan
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Jamia Review or its members.
