Empires rise and empires fall. All of them fall eventually.

America is an empire and we are falling. We can fall like Great Britain did or we can fall like Rome did or............

How do we, as American citizens, help America fall gently rather than violently? Is it even possible that we can have any influence?

If you believe we are not a falling empire, please start your own thread. I believe we are falling and I would like to have a discussion about it. I'm not really interested in the survivalist aspect of it but rather the duty of a citizen during such a time. As angry as I often am at my country, I care about her and my fellow citizens. I wonder what my right action should be at this strange time, this ending of empire. I realize now that this has been happening for a while, possibly my whole life and I didn't see it. I see it now and looking back, I realize I've known on some level for about a decade that our empire is ending. I guess I would also like to hear what people think it will be like after we aren't an empire anymore.

So much of this last decade, I've felt like I have my face pressed so close to the glass that I can't really see very clearly. I remember after 9/11, watching the fervent and to me, frightening nationalism that took hold, I began to see similarities to historical times when other countries went crazy on nationalism. I suppose one could say the teabaggers are trying to resurrect that rabid nationalism as is Arizona, but they really are just tiny factions of our country, so my vision feels muddy again.

What is my role? What is yours? What is ours?

is that they don't generally fail gracefully, unfortunately. If we're lucky, we'll dissipate like Rome -- slowly over time -- but I don't think we'll be that lucky, given our proclivity to fight like a drunken sailor.

Take a quick gander around the world today. Look at the conflicts.

Israel and Palestine? Britain made that.
India and Pakistan? Britain made that.
Sudan? Britain made that
Iraq's tribal and sectarian rivalries? Britain did that.
Kenya's messy civil wars? Britain did that.

When the Portuguese left Mozambique, all they did was pour concrete in the sewers. Britain, when they broke up their empire, turned each of their former holdings into a fucking genocide waiting to happen, purely put of spite.

I say we go like the Swedish Empire. In a hundred years, let people go "Wait, there was an American empire? Oh, I've gotta hear this one"

Sleep tight!

So, basically, you're saying that as an informed citizen, my job is to kiss my ass goodbye?

Given the corporate control of just about everything in our lives, I see us moving much more closer to a type of fascism. We have already entered into a lite version of it as it is.

As the economic slide speeds up, there will be various "economic safety measures" to insure our "way of life". Aka corps continue to make pallet loads of money for the rich.

In 100 years hence, barring any sort of massive political, social or economic revolution, the division between classes will make the caste system if India look quaint.

We will have transcended the gilded era and passed directly into a form of corporate plutocracy based upon peoples place within the social stature of society.

I see a more regimented, across the board, standardization of work defined ranks.

Those who toil the most for the least amount of pay will be at the bottom (really no change from today), and those who toil the least for the most amount of pay will be at the top (no change from today). However, the higher levels of affluence will be protected much as how high society was protected from the riff raff during the 1890's. Social stature will dictate all.

We still are under the illusion, mostly promoted by the right, that any one can rise from the pit of poverty to be a king of industry. That novel Horacio Alger model, often trotted out by the right will fall completely by the waste side as the rich and powerful will no longer allow the Algers of their time even a seat at one of their tables.

We will have sacked our own cities and states.

And to maintain their standing, the rich will begin acquiring their own "armies". Some will be small, others will be huge. This will give rise to a form of corporate serfdom. Where the poor will be "thankful" to be "working" for a merciful master who protects them from the evils of the world.

Like someone stated on a podcast I listen to, "we will see rise of the city state, once again".

Those who live in the outlands, (outside the cities) will be the barbaric hoards.

In other words, we will revert to a society that closely resembles the 1400's, but with high powered weapons.

Maybe it's time to shuffle the deck.

leaves a vacuum, readily filled by tyrants who are far worse than those ousted.