Nothing new

In the early nineties I was a staunch defender of the thesis that the USA had a brilliant future still. At that time there was a surge of books and opinions prophesying the demise of the American empire. Most of my colleaugues thought I was a delusional madman, unwilling to see the truth.

Almost twenty years later (and hopefully somewhat wiser), I must agree with them. America is crumbling away : it may well be in its death throes. Not from exterior threats, but from internal economic, demographical, social, moral and political weakness.

It all came back to me while I was surfing around and found the following quote by Abraham Lincoln :

“At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide".

I cannot judge in other fields, but in the economic field the USA are a giant standing on feet of brittle clay. Unlimited greed made them that way. Unlimited greed may be the internal and external force bringing the giant down.

I wrote that the USA are crumbling away ; hopefully they don't come down with a bang, taking a major part of the world down with them.