Hence the anxiety on the part of so many who believe America is on the verge of cataclysmic upheaval, one that’ll usher in a reign of terror, under our unique version of communism or fascism.
To point out: Hitler was quite redeemable. A man fighting for his people against an international banking cartel. I'd gladly side with him over our nation now. Especially against our jewish banking elite, our jewish media elite, and our jewish corporate tech overlords. If those are the options, I'd take Uncle A any day.
I subscribe to Rod and like him, but I've felt for a while that the America=Weimar or America-Rome metaphors are wrong. As you said, Weimar only happened in the aftermath of Germany's imperial failure. Rome also collapsed only after an extended period of imperial ambition. America is still on its imperial upswing.
The left seems to think it's 1933 and there are brownshirt mobs waiting to seize power. (That's why they need anti-fascist mobs to counter them.) The Right seems to think it's AD 476 and the whole society is about to collapse. But what if they're both wrong?
What if it's really AD 50. What if what's coming over the hill isn't a Visigoth invasion but Caesar's army? I think those waiting for a collapse of America may be quite early. As Adam Smith said, "there's a great deal of ruin in a nation." Especially a superpower. We may not remain a republic, but we will almost certainly remain for a long time to come.
There were a many generations that made great lives for themselves by staying small in a community with a shared culture and keeping their heads down... all while Rome collapsed around them. We can learn from them.
Thanks. And yes, I'm speaking of the US as an administrative and cultural empire, not a military one obviously. That was the tradeoff we made at the end of WWII: we won't occupy you, but you will become like us and help us contain the Soviets. Of course, now that the USSR is gone, the logic of that deal is starting to fray, on both sides.
Listening to the part of Shapiro's interview on evil reminded me of my all-time favorite line from Star Wars. It's Amidala listening to the newly-elected emperor give his first speech as the Senate cheers him on, and she says, "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause." Lucas wasn't a particularly serious writer, but the observation is quite astute.
As someone who actually supported the Galactic Empire, I think it's rise was one of the better-captured aspects of the Prequel Trilogy. The triggering event is when the Jedi effectively mount a coup. Putting aside the fact Palpatine was a Dark Lord bent on total power, his actions following the coup attempt are quite rational.
To point out: Hitler was quite redeemable. A man fighting for his people against an international banking cartel. I'd gladly side with him over our nation now. Especially against our jewish banking elite, our jewish media elite, and our jewish corporate tech overlords. If those are the options, I'd take Uncle A any day.
I subscribe to Rod and like him, but I've felt for a while that the America=Weimar or America-Rome metaphors are wrong. As you said, Weimar only happened in the aftermath of Germany's imperial failure. Rome also collapsed only after an extended period of imperial ambition. America is still on its imperial upswing.
The left seems to think it's 1933 and there are brownshirt mobs waiting to seize power. (That's why they need anti-fascist mobs to counter them.) The Right seems to think it's AD 476 and the whole society is about to collapse. But what if they're both wrong?
What if it's really AD 50. What if what's coming over the hill isn't a Visigoth invasion but Caesar's army? I think those waiting for a collapse of America may be quite early. As Adam Smith said, "there's a great deal of ruin in a nation." Especially a superpower. We may not remain a republic, but we will almost certainly remain for a long time to come.
There were a many generations that made great lives for themselves by staying small in a community with a shared culture and keeping their heads down... all while Rome collapsed around them. We can learn from them.
Post updated with your comments and my response. Thanks for participating.
Thanks. And yes, I'm speaking of the US as an administrative and cultural empire, not a military one obviously. That was the tradeoff we made at the end of WWII: we won't occupy you, but you will become like us and help us contain the Soviets. Of course, now that the USSR is gone, the logic of that deal is starting to fray, on both sides.
Listening to the part of Shapiro's interview on evil reminded me of my all-time favorite line from Star Wars. It's Amidala listening to the newly-elected emperor give his first speech as the Senate cheers him on, and she says, "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause." Lucas wasn't a particularly serious writer, but the observation is quite astute.
As someone who actually supported the Galactic Empire, I think it's rise was one of the better-captured aspects of the Prequel Trilogy. The triggering event is when the Jedi effectively mount a coup. Putting aside the fact Palpatine was a Dark Lord bent on total power, his actions following the coup attempt are quite rational.