A Gladiator's Guide to America

I'm the descendant of Romans and an armchair Roman History expert, here's why everyone is thinking about my ancestors and what it says about the future of America. In August 2023 Gaius Flavius encouraged women to ask their men how often they think about the Roman empire and the responses have gone viral. There isn't a single reason why people (men more than others, maybe) think about Rome all the time - it's because the Roman people simultaneously pushed the frontiers of technology, art, language, philosophy, and law giving us the template for our modern Western civilization. Even if you don't know the details of Roman history you're familiar with their story (from the Star Wars franchise) of losing a Republic to the forces of Empire. You may even feel like you're currently living that same storyline. In this rapid exploration, we'll recap the high points of Rome's history especially what led to its collapse, and why America is the real inheritor of the Roman banner. Slide deck available here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1phLHXnng2qN20PJWy3c4sB2gHxYTVc8U8UY8wM7zKrM/export/pdf Enroll in A Gladiator's Guide to America here: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Using the past to understand the present in order to predict the future." Economics, and economic history more specifically, provides a powerful framework for understanding the world and navigating its many choices. By focusing on the interplay of social institutions and technology (a.k.a. "exogenous factors") we can start to understand how America grew into an industrialization miracle - for good and bad. While economics started as an abstract philosophy, we'll focus on the practical applications of theory and where they diverge from the real world (and why). Get started by watching Lecture 0 and download the slide deck, then watch Discussion 0 on Individualism (its deck is also linked below) before heading to the "Resources & References" at the bottom of the page to prep for what's next. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Cui bonio?" - Cicero The path that got us to the present has two distinct branches before us: one leads to continued centralization and a rising federal monopoly, while the other offers a return to decentralization and individual liberty. The path towards greater centralization is the one we've been walking down since at least the 1930s and is based on the assumption that government will solve all problems. This has been disproven by the historical record (both ancient and modern). The second path leads to decentralization, and was the original vision of America; a vision that's been eroded, to deferring depths, over time, by the federal leviathan. This path has the potential to succeed but requires proactive participation from the nodes of the network (e.g.you, the person reading this). Our final discussion focuses on Trust and the role it plays in well-functioning markets, why it has been deliberately attacked through most of the leading institutions in modern America, and who that outcome benefits the most.

"Cui bonio?" - Cicero The path that got us to the present has two distinct branches before us: one leads to continued centralization and a rising federal monopoly, while the other offers a return to decentralization and individual liberty. The path towards greater centralization is the one we've been walking down since at least the 1930s and is based on the assumption that government will solve all problems. This has been disproven by the historical record (both ancient and modern). The second path leads to decentralization, and was the original vision of America; a vision that's been eroded, to deferring depths, over time, by the federal leviathan. This path has the potential to succeed but requires proactive participation from the nodes of the network (e.g.you, the person reading this). Our final discussion focuses on Trust and the role it plays in well-functioning markets, why it has been deliberately attacked through most of the leading institutions in modern America, and who that outcome benefits the most. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"LEVIATHAN called a COMMONWEALTH, or STATE (in Latin, CIVITAS), which is but an artificial man, though of greater stature and strength than the natural, for whose protection and defence it was intended; and in which the sovereignty is an artificial soul, as giving life and motion to the whole body.” - Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan) Nothing like the modern American economy has ever existed. Nothing like the modern American government has ever existed. By exploring the causal versus correlative interactive effects of these two facts, we can better understand (and appreciate) the remarkable system we currently have in place, and which we should work to preserve and expand. We'll end our lecture with a discussion of the role regulation has played throughout the Cold War and into the 21st Century. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"LEVIATHAN called a COMMONWEALTH, or STATE (in Latin, CIVITAS), which is but an artificial man, though of greater stature and strength than the natural, for whose protection and defence it was intended; and in which the sovereignty is an artificial soul, as giving life and motion to the whole body.” - Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan) Nothing like the modern American economy has ever existed. Nothing like the modern American government has ever existed. By exploring the causal versus correlative interactive effects of these two facts, we can better understand (and appreciate) the remarkable system we currently have in place, and which we should work to preserve and expand. We'll end our lecture with a discussion of the role regulation has played throughout the Cold War and into the 21st Century. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

″‘Hitler made only one big mistake when he built his Atlantic Wall’, the paratroopers liked to say. ‘He forgot to put a roof on it.‘” - Stephen Ambrose (Band of Brothers) By sheer body count alone, WW2 set new expectations about Total War and the preeminent role technology would play in human conflict moving forward. By using scientific management over specialized industrial production, output hit unfathomable levels - allowing governments to focus on delivering death on a global scale. These same productive capacities also enabled a strategy of attrition that ultimately prevailed over the Axis Powers, and which would define a new standard for the Cold War that immediately followed. We'll end with a discussion of comparative advantage and specialization, and how these facts of economic exchange can guide society toward more peaceful (prosperous) ends. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

″‘Hitler made only one big mistake when he built his Atlantic Wall’, the paratroopers liked to say. ‘He forgot to put a roof on it.‘” - Stephen Ambrose (Band of Brothers) By sheer body count alone, WW2 set new expectations about Total War and the preeminent role technology would play in human conflict moving forward. By using scientific management over specialized industrial production, output hit unfathomable levels - allowing governments to focus on delivering death on a global scale. These same productive capacities also enabled a strategy of attrition that ultimately prevailed over the Axis Powers, and which would define a new standard for the Cold War that immediately followed. We'll end with a discussion of comparative advantage and specialization, and how these facts of economic exchange can guide society toward more peaceful (prosperous) ends. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

“What we have most to fear, I believe, are those within our own borders who think less of country than of themselves, who are ambitious for money, for power, for land. Some of these men would subvert anything, anything at all, my dear sir, for their own profit. They would even twist the laws of their own country in their desire to acquire wealth or power.” - Louis L'Amour (Rivers West) The Great Depression, like any catastrophe involving a highly complex system, was caused by multiple things all hitting the US economy at once. Along with this long list of causes was another, distinct, set of accelerants that ultimately prolonged the social and economic hardship experienced in the US compared to other industrializing economies. In response to the cries for intervention, the Government at every level permanently expanded its reach into the lives of its citizens. During our discussion, we'll delve into the role that fear played during the Great Depression and how it continues to fuel situations of economic calamity. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

“What we have most to fear, I believe, are those within our own borders who think less of country than of themselves, who are ambitious for money, for power, for land. Some of these men would subvert anything, anything at all, my dear sir, for their own profit. They would even twist the laws of their own country in their desire to acquire wealth or power.” - Louis L'Amour (Rivers West) The Great Depression, like any catastrophe involving a highly complex system, was caused by multiple things all hitting the US economy at once. Along with this long list of causes was another, distinct, set of accelerants that ultimately prolonged the social and economic hardship experienced in the US compared to other industrializing economies. In response to the cries for intervention, the Government at every level permanently expanded its reach into the lives of its citizens. During our discussion, we'll delve into the role that fear played during the Great Depression and how it continues to fuel situations of economic calamity. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Stock prices have reached 'what looks like a permanently high plateau,' Irving Fisher, Yale economist, told members of the Purchasing Agents Association at its monthly dinner meeting at the Builders." - The New York Times (Oct 16th, 1929) No American century on record better contrasts the promises and nightmares of modern life than the 'roaring twenties.' Disillusioned from a "Great War" that no one thought could happen and which few wanted to fight, the industrial capacity that drove the horrors of war was refocused on satisfying the consumer. From the scars of European battlefields, the global economy surged, with Americans leading the way and creating their "middle class" in the process. We'll end by discussing the role a rising standard of education played in the period, and whether better markets make smarter people (or vice versa). ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Stock prices have reached 'what looks like a permanently high plateau,' Irving Fisher, Yale economist, told members of the Purchasing Agents Association at its monthly dinner meeting at the Builders." - The New York Times (Oct 16th, 1929) No American century on record better contrasts the promises and nightmares of modern life than the 'roaring twenties.' Disillusioned from a "Great War" that no one thought could happen and which few wanted to fight, the industrial capacity that drove the horrors of war was refocused on satisfying the consumer. From the scars of European battlefields, the global economy surged, with Americans leading the way and creating their "middle class" in the process. We'll end by discussing the role a rising standard of education played in the period, and whether better markets make smarter people (or vice versa). ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

As the Progressive Era came to an end the Federal government found its power rising faster than the sprouting urban skyscrapers. Fresh from "bustin' up" trusts, and fueled by new sources of tax revenue (and oil), Uncle Sam used his greenbacks to finally take control of the financial system. A multifaceted struggle with the States ensued, as each tried to protect their local markets and banks. At the same time, lone-wolf assassins attempted to institute anarchy by killing political leaders. At the local level, municipal governments were forced to relearn the hard lessons of urbanization (crime, poverty, sanitation, etc.), which is something we'll delve into during our discussion on cities. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

As the Progressive Era came to an end the Federal government found its power rising faster than the sprouting urban skyscrapers. Fresh from "bustin' up" trusts, and fueled by new sources of tax revenue (and oil), Uncle Sam used his greenbacks to finally take control of the financial system. A multifaceted struggle with the States ensued, as each tried to protect their local markets and banks. At the same time, lone-wolf assassins attempted to institute anarchy by killing political leaders. At the local level, municipal governments were forced to relearn the hard lessons of urbanization (crime, poverty, sanitation, etc.), which is something we'll delve into during our discussion on cities. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

“No country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law, and that the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.” - Mark Twain, Gilded Age The eternal constraint of human and animal energy in production was instantly eclipsed by carbon sources, kicking off the Second Industrial Revolution. But rapidly rising wealth driven by continuous processes of manufacturing was accompanied by occasional class conflict in the factories and across society. We'll end with a discussion on the role of Creative Destruction in this GDP-pushing process, and how social and technology tensions have played out in the past as a model for understanding how they may play out in the future. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

“No country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law, and that the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.” - Mark Twain, Gilded Age The eternal constraint of human and animal energy in production was instantly eclipsed by carbon sources, kicking off the Second Industrial Revolution. But rapidly rising wealth driven by continuous processes of manufacturing was accompanied by occasional class conflict in the factories and across society. We'll end with a discussion on the role of Creative Destruction in this GDP-pushing process, and how social and technology tensions have played out in the past as a model for understanding how they may play out in the future. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Abraham Lincoln may have freed all Americans, but Samuel Colt made them all equal." - Anonymous Before smoke and death were fully cleared from the eastern battlefields, recently reunited Americans accelerated their westward migration. Guided by a patchwork of Federal policies, settlers traveled by rail and overwhelmed indigenous people, overturning an ancient way of life. Technology's power to "cull" 30 million buffalo to less than 85 (total) in a matter of years signaled a new era in human history, and the government's focus turned toward transforming the food system and ending famines forever. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Abraham Lincoln may have freed all Americans, but Samuel Colt made them all equal." - Anonymous Before smoke and death were fully cleared from the eastern battlefields, recently reunited Americans accelerated their westward migration. Guided by a patchwork of Federal policies, settlers traveled by rail and overwhelmed indigenous people, overturning an ancient way of life. Technology's power to "cull" 30 million buffalo to less than 85 (total) in a matter of years signaled a new era in human history, and the government's focus turned toward transforming the food system and ending famines forever. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"You people of the South don't know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood...the North can make a steam engine, locomotive, or railway car; hardly a yard of cloth or pair of shoes can you make. You are rushing into war with one of the most powerful, ingeniously mechanical, and determined people on Earth — right at your doors." - William T. Sherman The system of slavery in America was historically unique in two important ways: it eventually embraced racial justifications in an attempt to sustain itself, and the institution ended entirely. The wounds of America's most brutal war left their mark on everything and everyone: from the physical landscape slashed and burned from the first modern war to the emotional and physical scars of those consumed by the conflict. Lincoln's assassination marked the beginning of a new "Gilded Age" defined by smoldering social resentments and an economy reinventing itself around mechanization while navigating the inflationary echo effects of Federal interventions. We'll end by examing the Civil War and the differences between endogenous and exogenous enforcement systems during our discussion on Force. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"You people of the South don't know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood...the North can make a steam engine, locomotive, or railway car; hardly a yard of cloth or pair of shoes can you make. You are rushing into war with one of the most powerful, ingeniously mechanical, and determined people on Earth — right at your doors." - William T. Sherman The system of slavery in America was historically unique in two important ways: it eventually embraced racial justifications in an attempt to sustain itself, and the institution ended entirely. The wounds of America's most brutal war left their mark on everything and everyone: from the physical landscape slashed and burned from the first modern war to the emotional and physical scars of those consumed by the conflict. Lincoln's assassination marked the beginning of a new "Gilded Age" defined by smoldering social resentments and an economy reinventing itself around mechanization while navigating the inflationary echo effects of Federal interventions. We'll end by examing the Civil War and the differences between endogenous and exogenous enforcement systems during our discussion on Force. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer. If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher.” - Abraham Lincoln (1838) In a historical "blink of an eye," Americans invented an entirely new way of living and rebooted older approaches that had fallen into disuse throughout the West for millennia. This upheaval coincided with changes in technology and social institutions and was felt in every part of a person’s life: from where they lived, to whom they worshipped, to what they ate, and how they worked. Starting in New England, this chaos quickly spread throughout the continent, eroding the notion of a frontier and centralizing power (especially through the financial system) with varying success during the half-century. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer. If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher.” - Abraham Lincoln (1838) In a historical "blink of an eye," Americans invented an entirely new way of living and rebooted older approaches that had fallen into disuse throughout the West for millennia. This upheaval coincided with changes in technology and social institutions and was felt in every part of a person’s life: from where they lived, to whom they worshipped, to what they ate, and how they worked. Starting in New England, this chaos quickly spread throughout the continent, eroding the notion of a frontier and centralizing power (especially through the financial system) with varying success during the half-century. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Manifest destiny was on the march, and it was unfortunate that Mexico stood in the path." - Winston Churchill Even before the British had surrendered Americans were pushing into the wilderness and repeatedly redefining the westernmost limits of the country. This leapfrog of commerce, conflict, and settlement surged for almost a century under the framework of the Northwest Ordinance (NWO). To this day the NWO provides a path to statehood, though the designation has never been guaranteed in practice. Interwoven in the story of new settlements was the absence of an exogenous enforcer. In its place, emergent phenomena created communities of varying success, something we'll dig into during our discussion of Collective Action. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"Manifest destiny was on the march, and it was unfortunate that Mexico stood in the path." - Winston Churchill Even before the British had surrendered Americans were pushing into the wilderness and repeatedly redefining the westernmost limits of the country. This leapfrog of commerce, conflict, and settlement surged for almost a century under the framework of the Northwest Ordinance (NWO). To this day the NWO provides a path to statehood, though the designation has never been guaranteed in practice. Interwoven in the story of new settlements was the absence of an exogenous enforcer. In its place, emergent phenomena created communities of varying success, something we'll dig into during our discussion of Collective Action. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta

"What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure." - Thomas Jefferson (1787) From a turtle's pace (you'll get the pun after the lecture) productivity in the New World exploded, placing the larger and wealthier colonists on a collision course with their Crown. At stake was the wealth and autonomy they'd built - both of which had been under attack for decades through punitive legislation aimed uniquely at the colonists and which ultimately denied their rights as English citizens. Victory in war failed to bring an end to the hardship faced by these new "Americans" as economic hardships and international isolation slowed, but ultimately failed to stop, the growth of the nation. Whether spoken or unspoken, at the heart of this conflict was material scarcity and an individual's economic well-being, something that could be at odds with the collective goals of the revolution, and something we'll explore in our discussion. ENROLL HERE: https://lucianopesci.systeme.io/aggta