Too Green

The Department of Romeland Security was established in the late 4th Century to mitigate the threat of barbarian invasion. Even as neighboring empires pooh-poohed barbarian invasion as unsubstantiated drivel and a restraint on trade, the DRS kept Rome prepared for the worst. Until they asked for a rate increase.

The DRS adopted a color-coded system of threat levels. Following the example of similar organizations ... well, one, anyway, ... they adopted the red-yellow-green traffic light scheme. Or, since traffic lights were hundreds of years in the future, maybe green was for non-torched vegetation, red was for blood, and yellow was for what you did in your pants when you saw a barbarian horde descending.

But the increase ...

"What? You want more money?" cried the poor people.

"What? You want more money?" cried the rich people.

"What? You want more money?" cried the priests.

"What? You want more money?" cried the Emperor.

"Well, ... yes," replied the DRS. "It's been 17 years since we got an increase, and prices keep going up. There are gates and fortifications and weapons and moats and stuff."

"But we can't afford to pay any more," objected the poor.

"But we don't want to pay any more," complained the rich.

"Surely, you don't expect us to pay our share," whined the priests.

"I am against this increase," declared the Emperor. "I don't give a crap about any of my subjects, but this is the first time I've ever seen everyone agree on something, and it's bound to make me popular."

"At our current level of funding, we won't be able to maintain our green status," countered the DRS.

"Is Rome too green?" the pundits weighed in. "Do we really need new fortifications? The old ones will hold up fine for another few decades. Real oaken gates, when balsa wood will do? Do the roads really need to be repaired? How can Rome compete with those other empires that don't spend on barbarian prevention?"

"Right," said the Emperor. "We aren't like those other empires that deny the barbarian threat, but you have to balance your invasion prevention with the people's desire not to pay for it. So no increase for you, you greedy bastards."

It is difficult to assess the economic benefits of this decision because little evidence survived the sack of Rome by the Visigoths.