[donquixote99]

To answer my own question, we lost Sparta to the power and dysfunctionality of trans-national capitalism.

The primary lessons that we learn from the failed Communist and So*ialist regimes of the 20th century is that centralization failed, yet when we look at capitalist economies today what we see is that centralization has taken place as well. Today the global capitalist economy is as much or more centralized than the Soviet Union ever was, the difference is that the economy is centralized under the control of powerful private interests who exercise heavy influence over governments around the world, as opposed to being centralized under the direct control of government.

A 2011 study found that a mere 147 transnational corporations (less than 1% of transnational corporations) controlled 40% of global capital. The study found, "that network control is much more unequally distributed than wealth. In particular, the top ranked actors hold a control ten times bigger than what could be expected based on their wealth."

While this study examined only the relationships of transnational corporations, the findings can be broadly applied to conclude that generally speaking, control over capital is actually more concentrated than mere wealth distribution would indicate. This actually makes sense based on how controlling shares of corporations work, which is what allows entities to own less than half of the value of a corporation while retaining controlling interest. As capital ownership and control become increasingly concentrated, the ability of capitalists to undermine market conditions in order to preserve profits increases.

This is the reality that we have to acknowledge and face. Ownership and control of capital is far more concentrated today than at any time in America's history and this fact is a product of capitalism itself. Ultimately, attempts at economic and political reform which don't fundamentally address the distribution of capital ownership are doomed to be temporary and ineffectual at best. The underlying cause of economic inequality and political disenfranchisement in capitalist economies around the world, particularly in America, is concentration of capital ownership. This concentration of capital ownership undermines the principles upon which America was founded, and now creates the type of feudalistic social and economic conditions that early Americans fought so hard against.

http://www.rationalrevolution.net/ar..._evolution.htm