jimjam wrote:I have found that the overall sweep of history is quite predictable while the details of history … less so. The "events" of history's sweep are tied together by one unchanging feature: human nature. Human nature tends to operate in a largely predictable fashion where the "strong" will dominate the "weaker" and acquire the wealth of the weak via force/intimidation. While timing is subject to a complex menu of factors, the behavior is very predictable. A short study of history will show how various countries/societies have essentially taken turns at subjugating other countries/regions for the purpose of siphoning off their wealth/power. The British "empire" is one of the best examples but many others have had their turn at the feeding trough. Spain, Holland, France, Portugal have all had their rise and fall in this behavior. America is situated upon, arguably, the most valuable piece of real estate in the world and is following aforementioned formula to a T. To America's credit it has embarked upon various forms of "humanitarian" behavior which, eventually, are pushed aside or used as a cover for exploitation of other societies and been either directly or not so directly responsible for the death and suffering of uncountable thousands. Now that America has entered the downward trajectory of it's period of "empire" they no longer have to pretend humanitarian motives. They sit atop a multi trillion dollar "defense" industry which can be used to intimidate the rest of the world. America's plutocratic ruling class knows this and is resolved to give up it's dominant position only after much kicking and screaming. Impeached President Trump and his Make America Great Again For Dimwits show is symptomatic of this stage in America's decline. Don't hold your breath though folks ….. this will take awhile but ….. it will come to pass. America has already sown the seeds of her own demise. Under Impeached President Trump it has reached the dubious plateau of spending about a trillion dollars per year more than she takes in. Contrary to what Obese Donald tells us (or avoids talking about altogether) two plus two still equals four. America will not be conquered by another country but will economically implode and conquer herself. Obese Donald is the perfect candidate for the job. Just look at his lifetime behavior: Ignore any long term good in exchange for short term "prosperity" based upon borrow, borrow, borrow …… bankruptcy.
I understand what you are talking about jimjam. OTOH, I think the USA never faced its real history. A history as bloody and genocidal and oppressive as all the previous nation-states that they tried to not redo in history....but in the end? They are in denial jimjam. The only way humans become better when they are shown the dark side of their histories? Is to renounce their dedication to that way of doing things and start over and make amends and choose a positive mindset. People do learn from their mistakes and they change their habits, thought patterns and choose something better....but they can't live in constant denial and negations about what they did. You got to confront and accept the horrors, the oppressions, the murders, the exploitation and all the baggage that comes with that....and you work through the trauma and the pain of such an appalling history and make different choices. Never again is what people should start talking about.
Start accepting the errors and the falsehoods and take responsibility for all the ugly history in the USA. Because it is UGLY in the extreme. Killing natives, enslaving Africans, paying immigrants nothing, exploiting poor immigrants, allowing class differences to get worse and worse, corrupting everyone with love and worship of money and gold above all other values, consumption, climate change, polluting, being wasteful, fomenting ignorance, abusing power, using violence and death as a solution to conflict, etc.
Once you accept the huge burden of the enormity of the amount of the offenses and the betrayal of a radical republic? You can actually change for real and not just play lip service and get something done to rectify the ship. If you fail to accept that horror as what it is? You live in la la land...denial and you don't get anywhere. That is where all the other human empires in human history did....they never accepted the failures and the horrors and confronted them and faced them full on and changed profoundly to be able to make something better for all of us humans for the next generation.
And they fell off the power seat and others filled the vacuum.
I see human history as a series of opportunities for change. That is what crisis is in Mandarin Chinese.....danger/opportunity. Because crisis for them is about facing the danger and then seizing an opportunity for change.
I have hope that the human race will eventually let go of what the Greeks' identified as 'hubris' or pride. A very difficult quality that leads to self destruction. I think we will learn our lessons and change. Who knows how long it takes or how many failures have to happen first jimjam? But it will happen.
As a Puerto Rican though? And pro independence? The fall of the American Empire is a good thing for me. It means a weakening of the chains of the master.....and an eventual opportunity to be out of the grip of things.
If it never happens? Still.....they created their own karma. And frankly? That is a universal law that in order for a person or a society or a government to grow and learn and evolve and advance? They got to lose that which they covet. They covet things that are false and useless....the only way for them to let it go is to be in deep suffering and lose.
It is a teacher. And it is necessary. The USA needs that now...they are a danger to the rest of humanity with their bullshit at this point.