The Decline of Western Civilization
- Thread starter CrimsonJazz
- Start date
Just curious…..was your friend asking for social media posts, texts or emails welcoming Kaine? Or was he asking for money so that his daughter could attend the Veterans Day address?
No. Just a text message asking me to attend the speech. Honestly, I did not read it closely. I just saw a political message. It came shortly after the election, and I was so relieved when the election came and the political text messages stopped. Then I got this message and saw a future of endless political text messages and I responded out of frustration.
I was in Europe at the time and data was metered so when folks texted me a photo or God forbid video, it took up data and cost me money.
I feel bad about it (and apologized once I knew who the sender was). He was not a close friend, and I'm not a big supporter of Tim Kaine, but his daughter was doing her job. Had I been in town, I might have actually attended just to hear what Kaine had to say.
This is an interesting take. When there is a period of anocracy, an interregnum between government types, democracy-autocracy, a civil war is a possible outcome. Not always, but frequently. When people start generally to distrust institutions, bad developments are around the corner.
I do not endorse the reasoning, per se, but it is an interesting take.
Here is the study on which the video is based.
A Global Model for Forecasting Political Instability
"Political institutions, properly specified, and not economic conditions, demography, or geography, are the most important predictors of the onset of political instability."
Here is the study on which the video is based.
A Global Model for Forecasting Political Instability
"Political institutions, properly specified, and not economic conditions, demography, or geography, are the most important predictors of the onset of political instability."
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I dont distrust the institutions. But I do distrust the people leading these institutions. I think we are starting to see the administrative state in our federal government actually did perform a valuable service to the American people.
Worldwide, democracies are being spoiled by people with nationalist or fascist agendas through blatantly false propaganda and ultra-wealthy influence. I believe this was part of the plan all along with the emerging AI technology. The influencers did not want AI to be democratized or commoditized as was with the internet. On the backend of the boomer $90T wealth transfer, systemic sovereign deficits, and emergence of AI, there is a competition and creation of techno-autrocratic states that will either be ran by techno-fascist types or nationalist ethnic types. Both types wanting deep surveillance into personal privacy.
The people running for public office today have some real nefarious agendas.
Not speaking about you, but speaking longer term (say, the last century or half-century) trust in Congress, the police, the media, and even the judiciary is not what it once was.
Here is the important fact about trust: According to this theory, it is not necessary to restore the trust in an institution among those who already trust that institution. The trust of people who distrust the institution must be restored.
If someone watches NBC News/CBS News/ABC News, you don't have to convince that person that these media outlets are reliable. You need to convince the skeptic of that proposition. You do not need to convince those who see juries as a reliable institution for determining guilty or innocence at trial, you need to convince the skeptic of that proposition.
Of course, there are those in our society who will pander to the skeptics (e.g. Donald Trump telling everyone who will listen that NBC CBS ABC are not reliable, or Karmelo Anthony defenders being told that "any jury that does not include a black juror cannot be trusted") and the cycle goes on.
A society has two choices: turn from this path, or continue on it and get to experience the joys of a Bosnian-like civil war. Having been in Bosnia for that one, I can tell you that it was not a lot of fun for the participants.
This is a bad sign.
I like Germany and I like Germans. I lay this at the feet of German energy policy and I hate to see a friend messing up this badly.
I like Germany and I like Germans. I lay this at the feet of German energy policy and I hate to see a friend messing up this badly.
VW weighs up to 100,000 job cuts, four plant closures in biggest overhaul yet, sources say
A lot of Germans are about to pay for the earlier mistakes of their government.
It’s incredible watching our European neighbors continue to dismantle the foundations of their societies over energy and immigration.
They need to be spending money on defense and industrialization... It could be a spiral from here on out for them otherwise. Austerity has limits and a downside.
A company I was involved with had a partner company in Zaragoza, Spain and another in Catalonia. Wonderful people and beautiful products. I found from their sales rep that Napoleon had sacked Zaragoza and in modern times there is anomosity and distrust toward the French still today. With the type of strife and pillaging that has gone on in Europe for centuries perhaps the EU and its bureauracy is about all that can be expected from Europe.
If we look at the US today committing self immolation to its economy, global relationships and legal structure it may lead us to lower our expectations of Europe.
Agreed. and so does blindly following energy policies that make no sense in the short term. Or importing the third world and assuming it won't fundamentally alter / undermine what made Europe the dominant culture base for a thousand years. Their issues are so obvious it's crazy watching them choose this path. Thankfully, with the recent EU decisions we might see some change in direction before it's too late, but I'm not holding my breath.
Actually, I see some indications of change, but not in all areas and perhaps too late...
I was reading the Shorter Cambridge Medieval History and was astounded to read this.
In the 4th century Roman Empire, young men, particularly in Spain and Italy, would amputate their own thumbs to avoid military service.
Add to this my observation that the "Roman" Order of Battle at the Battle of Chalons (AD 451) indicated that Visigoths, Franks, Burgundians, Saxons who doing the fighting on the Roman side. It seems precious few Romans were fighting for Rome at this point.
The Western Roman Empire collapsed in AD 476.
Those three facts might not be unrelated.
In the 4th century Roman Empire, young men, particularly in Spain and Italy, would amputate their own thumbs to avoid military service.
Add to this my observation that the "Roman" Order of Battle at the Battle of Chalons (AD 451) indicated that Visigoths, Franks, Burgundians, Saxons who doing the fighting on the Roman side. It seems precious few Romans were fighting for Rome at this point.
The Western Roman Empire collapsed in AD 476.
Those three facts might not be unrelated.
I recently saw this and thought I might share:
Leaders in 1941-5 convinced people of the correctness of their policies. Leaders today don't even try.
The more I read and listen to Maddog Mattis, the more I like him. He's okay (for a Marine).
This hangs on the wall at work:
Lucius Cornelius Sulla's epigraph: τὸ μὲν οὖν μνημεῖον ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τοῦ Ἄρεώς ἐστι τὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμά φασιν αὐτὸν ὑπογραψάμενον καταλιπεῖν, οὗ κεφάλαιόν ἐστιν ὡς οὔτε τῶν φίλων τις αὐτὸν εὖ ποιῶν οὔτε τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακῶς ὑπερεβάλετο.
("None of his friends surpassed him in returning good, nor any of his enemies in returning evil") which Maddog made the division motto of the 1st Marine Division: "No better friend, no worse enemy."
The more I read and listen to Maddog Mattis, the more I like him. He's okay (for a Marine).
This hangs on the wall at work:
Lucius Cornelius Sulla's epigraph: τὸ μὲν οὖν μνημεῖον ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τοῦ Ἄρεώς ἐστι τὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμά φασιν αὐτὸν ὑπογραψάμενον καταλιπεῖν, οὗ κεφάλαιόν ἐστιν ὡς οὔτε τῶν φίλων τις αὐτὸν εὖ ποιῶν οὔτε τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακῶς ὑπερεβάλετο.
("None of his friends surpassed him in returning good, nor any of his enemies in returning evil") which Maddog made the division motto of the 1st Marine Division: "No better friend, no worse enemy."
Indeed. In the early years of Rome the legions were composed of most free citizens and they were well trained armored troops. The auxiliary forces were mainly drawn from the free people who were not citizens and they provided calvary and archers and lighter units. After 25 years of service the auxiliary forces could retire as citizens of Rome, so there was a strong motive to remain faithful.
By the 200s this practice was in shambles after Caracalla made most of the population citizens.
After that it was progressively the practice to use mercenaries and the forces were of progressively lower quality, although Constantine did rebuild the military with large numbers of Germanic tribesman in the middle of the 300s.
It is a fascinating history! It is chronicled well by the writer of the ACOUP blog along with lots of other military history.
https://acoup.blog/
I read an entire book on the post-collapse period. It becomes more and more muddled, with all the shifting alliances and new migrations until there's nothing left but churchly writings, since the populace otherwise was almost totally illiterate, including nobility. Finally, with the dawn of the late middle ages, civilization started to wake back up...
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