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- Seen Oct 5, 2024
Based on a rather intriguing documentary on the History Channel called the "Prophets of Doom." Which has nothing to do with 2012, mind you.
According to the various economical, political and historical minds present, Human Civilization, in particular American/Western Civilization, is on a crash course to collapse, and that unless something is done, America will fall- just as every other empire in history has, unless great and drastic steps are taken to save it from itself.
The documentary cites a wide array of factors, from the current global economical situation, to America's infrastructure, political atmosphere, geographical and environmental issues, and history itself. It begins by making comparisons to the Roman Empire, the greatest empire of antiquity. Both America and Rome were fabulously wealthy nations, with a great expanse of territory, and a sophisticated culture. But, they were and are, both victims of thier own excess and success. Rome fell in 476 AD, after several centuries of turmoil. Repeated barbarian invasion, a stretched out and weary military, and rampant political corruption and public apathy on the home-front, all contributed to the collapse of the empire. America faces almost the exact same set of problems- Terrorism (and the threat of repeated attacks) a thinly stretched military (Iraq, Afghanistan, other hot spots) political infighting and corruption (Extreme Partisanship, repeated Wall Street and Political scandal) and apathy and indifference to the major issues facing the country. Rome is not the only example of the rise and fall of empire, it is a fundamental truth of human civilization- that based on several internal and external factors, empires rise and fall.
America's greatest threat doesn't reside in a foreign capital, it resides within the country itself, with a laundry list of contributing factors.
Is America, and by extension the rest of the world, headed down a path towards collapse, based on our own choices? What can and has be done, to ensure that we don't go down that path?
Discuss.
History Channel excerpt said:Today's world has troubles unique to its time in history, from the global financial crisis to technological meltdowns to full scale, computerized global war. Observing the convergence of such events, contemporary prophets have begun to emerge from obscurity to suggest that these conditions might be signs of the demise of the modern world. These men are historians as well, using all manner of information and patterns from the past to provide context for where we are going. Their predictions interpret the current state of affairs in our world as evidence that the America we know may come to an end. The men proposing these ideas are not crackpots living on the streets of New York; they are intelligent, learned men who come armed with the evidence to back up their claims.
According to the various economical, political and historical minds present, Human Civilization, in particular American/Western Civilization, is on a crash course to collapse, and that unless something is done, America will fall- just as every other empire in history has, unless great and drastic steps are taken to save it from itself.
The documentary cites a wide array of factors, from the current global economical situation, to America's infrastructure, political atmosphere, geographical and environmental issues, and history itself. It begins by making comparisons to the Roman Empire, the greatest empire of antiquity. Both America and Rome were fabulously wealthy nations, with a great expanse of territory, and a sophisticated culture. But, they were and are, both victims of thier own excess and success. Rome fell in 476 AD, after several centuries of turmoil. Repeated barbarian invasion, a stretched out and weary military, and rampant political corruption and public apathy on the home-front, all contributed to the collapse of the empire. America faces almost the exact same set of problems- Terrorism (and the threat of repeated attacks) a thinly stretched military (Iraq, Afghanistan, other hot spots) political infighting and corruption (Extreme Partisanship, repeated Wall Street and Political scandal) and apathy and indifference to the major issues facing the country. Rome is not the only example of the rise and fall of empire, it is a fundamental truth of human civilization- that based on several internal and external factors, empires rise and fall.
America's greatest threat doesn't reside in a foreign capital, it resides within the country itself, with a laundry list of contributing factors.
Example:
Example:
Example:
1. The rapid decline of fossil fuel, and the lack of alternate resources. 2. The water crisis currently effecting the South west, AZ, CA, NM, NE, etc. 3. The current political landscape. 4. America's rapidly decaying infrastructure. 5. The global economical situation and Recession. 6. The possibility of Nuclear Warfare. 7. Virulent Pandemics and bacterial-resistant diseases. 8. Apathy. 9. Over-population and food shortage(s) 10. Heavy dependence on technology for basic function. |
Is America, and by extension the rest of the world, headed down a path towards collapse, based on our own choices? What can and has be done, to ensure that we don't go down that path?
Discuss.