Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Do you believe that history repeats itself?

do you notice the pattern of the rise and fall of powerful empires in history?

do you think/feel that we are heading for some kind of social breakdown?

I think a lot about both ancient Greek and Roman societies, and how they both came crashing down...and wonder if and when that will happen to ours.

I think that history does repeat itself. Both the Greeks and the romans fancied themselves "englightened" too.

but it didn't stop the world from plunging in to the dark ages.

I admit it does sound fatalistic, but I don't see anything good happening right now.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

of course history repeats itself.... and to a degree its becuase people can't fight off human nature... every person (including leaders, and gov'ts) is not above thinking 'but WE'RE different... THAT can't happen to US'

My former advisor (a true academic, and british) said it best:

the US is in a decline... and the people are unaware of it. Worse than that, Britian has ALREADY declined, and the Brits are STILL unaware of it'

To me it's fine... it's the cycle of life... on a larger / civilization level. It doesn't mean we're wasting away, it merely means we lack the influence of 40 years ago

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Do I think history repeats itself? Yes.

Do I buy into the hysteria that the world as we know it is ending and the US will soon be nonexistent? No.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Yes.
I have long believed that American society is going to collapse from within.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Yes
Yes
Yes

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Posted by marriedinportjeff

of course history repeats itself.... and to a degree its becuase people can't fight off human nature... every person (including leaders, and gov'ts) is not above thinking 'but WE'RE different... THAT can't happen to US'

My former advisor (a true academic, and british) said it best:

the US is in a decline... and the people are unaware of it. Worse than that, Britian has ALREADY declined, and the Brits are STILL unaware of it'

To me it's fine... it's the cycle of life... on a larger / civilization level. It doesn't mean we're wasting away, it merely means we lack the influence of 40 years ago

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

yes, i do.

and, i think it needs to. The gorvernment is supposed to serve the people, but the way ours is set up, it separates the people and fails to meet at least half of the population's needs.

its all cyclical, imo.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

If you look at history it has to, but I cannot imagine how right now...maybe that is because we live here and don't want to imagine our country's downfall.

I have thought about this before, that's what I get for being a poli sci minor.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

I do believe that America is in decline and is on the path to no longer being the most powerful nation in the world.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

USSR was #2 power in the world.... at one point
England was #1 power in the world.... at one point
Rome was #1 power in the world.... at one point
Greece was #1 power in the world.... at one point
Egypt was #1 power in the world.... at one point

etc, etc, etc...... I don't think we'll disappear, but I think we'll drop down in importance, like England.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Yes yes yes and yes.

We can't remain the most powerful nation in the world indefinitely. I don't even think it's possible. We haven't been most powerful for very long...only since WWII, but before that we were another one of those countries that takes up a lot of space but generally minds its business. I think we have decades to go still, but we won't remain on top forever.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

Yes history repeats its self BUT I hope that we learn from the mistakes made before us.

Re: Serious question, though perhaps unfathomable

I'll get my poli sci degree on.

I definitely think we could *possibly* lose the #1 spot but I also would say that we need to step back and remember that we are talking a few years here.

Civiliazation has been in exisitence for thousands of years. The US has been in existence for a few hundred.

Other nations such as GB have been around a lot longer and have had ups and downs.

So IMO looking at the past 20 years and comparing it is a little apples and oranges.

In the macro view - perhaps you are right and we are headed "down" but I doubt it'll be sudden, rather it will durng the course of 50-100 years.

But, then again this could be (if we really think we are going down right now) a momentary blip in civilization. We won't really know.