Me in 2020: “Wow, I really hope these past four years were our ’Nero’ era and not our ‘Honorius’ era.”

Me in 2025: “Oh god oh fuck here comes our ‘Honorius’ era”

The Roman Emperor Nero was devoid of redeeming qualities and ruinous to everyone he touched, but the state recovered and would go on to a healthier existence for another ~100 or so years.

The Roman Emperor Honorius was devoid of redeeming qualities and ruinous to everyone he touched. The state would not recover, and another ~50 years of decline would turn the already-reduced quality of life of the Roman people to cinders, benefitting no one except the powerful and wealthy who managed to survive long enough to carve out little kingdoms for themselves.

Luckily, the USA does not hold up the world the way that Rome did - a few days travel from the border will not lead you to a land where modern science and development is unknown. Unfortunately for those of us living here, it very well may take you to a place where modern science and development is more robust.