From the article, presumably the partial destruction of New York and subsequent political struggle over how to rebuild, as metaphor for modern American democrac

From the article, presumably the partial destruction of New York and subsequent political struggle over how to rebuild, as metaphor for modern American democracy in light of the late Roman Republic / early Empire. Or, in other words, what it's about probably depends on whether or not someone classifies Apocalypse Now as a movie about the Vietnam War.