The point people often seem to miss is that there was no choice about changing from a republic to an empire. It wasn't a case of, "If only Caesar hadn't come along, we could have preserved the Roman Senate." No, the Senate was finished. That's why Caesar took power. That's how he was even able to take power. There are tides in the evolution of societies. Caesar rode the tide of empire. Which is a point to bear in mind when thinking about our own situation, and the changes we are undergoing.