What is missing from this picture is that Rome was a republic, and when they were a republic, they grew in power, wealth, and influence constantly. If you study Rome, the moment they transferred into an oligarchy, and eventually into a monarchy (dictatorship in this case), you can see the decline of the state of Rome at this exact point.
The only way to really break an oligarchy or monarchy happens to be anarchy. Democracy works, but it usually is a transition state back to either an oligarchy or monarchy, and rarely a republic.
The US of A was created as a Republic, so why is it our leaders keep pushing the democracy clause? They really want an oligarchy, or even a monarchy, though I think the former is more likely.
Socialism is an oligarchy, and in Stalin's case, almost a monarchy, but only a republic leads to wealth and prosperity for any real length of time.
The point of this exercise is, if Rome was doomed, as was the world at this point in time the moment it left the idea of a republic, so no, there was no chance that we would have been driving a car 150 years ago.
On that same subject, Rome was anti technology unless it related to either religion or military. They relied upon the backs of slaves, and even their massive cranes were run by slaves who ran in what would best be described as a mouse wheel for humans. So no - your car still wouldn't have existed. Bad example.
-S
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