Caitlin, I find Israel and the U.S. Empire's behavior to be in the stage of 'hubris' before the eventual downfall. This 'hubris' still needs to progress towards 'excessive hubris' before this 'downfall' begins in earnest. Isn't that how most Empires end? There is this paradoxical phase of 'supreme confidence/untouchability' co-existing with 'authoritarian/totalitarian/fascistic' behaviors borne out of a 'desperation from the realization of the Empire losing control/power' during such a phase.
Most experts that I have listened to recently - Ilan Pappe, Jeffrey Sachs, John Mearsheimer (and more) suggest that Israel is already on the decline and does not have a future left - and if the U.S. Empire does not disentangle itself from Israel, it might be next to follow.
With Trump, long bought, as well as US Congress bought or threatened by AIPAC that will be difficult to do. A lot of Americans are just plain ignorant, too.
True, it will be difficult - but not impossible, though it will be very painful (for the whole world). But then again, the 'decline of empires' seem to follow certain patterns (from history), and some people (experts in their respective fields) have already been noticing 'data points' that seem to suggest the confirmation of such patterns.
The unfolding logic of 'decline of an empire' is often filled with unpredictable events, hence timing such a scenario is always challenging. Nonetheless, I think people noticing such things is increasing by the day...
I've been watching the US's fall for forty years now, no one believed it could happen but they had already started once they claimed to be the world leader and their sense of impunity was right there. The pity is that when pushed other countries relented too easily and joined in their regime change wars. If they had been left to do it on their own it would not have gone this far, they needed others to call them what they wanted to be numero uno. Same with Israelis, if the US hadn't backed them and other countries were blackmailed or bribed into still falling for Jewish victimhood, this would have been stopped in a very short time.
You leaders around the world now, and your fellows before you, are as guilty of this disgusting genocide as the Israeli people are. You could have cut this off at the knees in the first months, but no you let it happen when zionist Jews made it abundantly clear what they were going to do, and set about arming them by each of you in one way or another.
The decline of every empire, historically, has been the result of the growing of massive inequality in wealth and power among the people. Capitalism and technology have accelerated the rate of growth in the wealth/power gap.
I would also add gross social injustice, open discrimination, nepotism, incompetence on all levels, "leadership" full or morons and imbeciles that only know who's ring to kiss. In other words, total decadence.
Massive inequality in wealth results in massive inequality of power that allows or encourages gross social injustice, discrimination, and nepotism. Nepotism protects incompetence to retain power within “the family”. Nepotism, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad because “the family” knows its members better than it knows anyone outside of the family, but nepotism also resist external opportunities for improvements.
Throughout recorded history, marriage among the royal families of monarchs has been based upon nepotism and inbreeding, often resulting in the propagation of congenital diseases and defects. Such diseases and defects have analogous counterparts in political systems and corporate hierarchies.
Without actual democracy, meritocracy is a myth to give gullible people hope of being rewarded for perseverance and hard work. The members of most organizations recognize who among them deserves merit. However, when the members of the organizations are isolated from each other, they don’t always recognize significant contributions by members who are unseen.
One example that I often use is that of orderlies and janitors in hospitals and medical centers who clean, sanitize and maintain the facilities. Their work is as critical— if not more so — than that of highly paid surgeons. Most of such workers are usually unseen and are minimally rewarded even though they know their medical facilities more intimately than the transient surgeons who use them.
In medical centers/hospitals, janitors, nurses and physicians are all critically important to successful outcomes. None are really more or less important than each other. All have knowledge and skills that require years of experience to be fully developed.
I'll have to think about this one Indu - you've asked me a VERY challenging question (that in all likelihood seems beyond my abilities to answer).
But I think it would be a good/helpful exercise to work on. After all, we keep thinking about all the problems, but how many of us actually attempt to think of the solutions? Most of us - when confronted with the size of the seemingly insurmountable problem that is the U.S. Empire - simply give up (for multiple reasons).
The starting point for a solution would be a hypothetical - that somehow the U.S. realizes that to save the country (not the empire) it needs to reduce the size of its empire to only N.America, Western Europe, Australia, and NZ (assuming it has come to the realization that the only way for the country to survive is to go through the route of empire amputation). Given this 'hypothetical' realization, then what would it do to get from where it is to where it needs to go?
Maybe some Think Tanks (domestic or international) might have (or are) working on such a scenario...
Thanks Chang for taking the trouble. I don't think an empire can reform itself. It has to implode and explode and disintegrate.
For a phoenix to rise out of the ashes of empire, the American people will have to revolt - from apathy to awareness to make a revolution. Of course it is going to be harder for a people who have been conditioned, lobotomised and brainwashed by an institutionalised system.
One has to realise - as Bertolt Brecht implores - that it is so hot underfoot, that they have to get out of the burning house.
Incidentally the Cuban Revolution is 72 years old today. If not for the machinations of US empire it would have been a beacon of light for the previously colonised global south.
Needless to say the fall of empire will be the panacea for the whole world.
>>"I don't think an empire can reform itself. It has to implode and explode and disintegrate."
You may be right, Indu. My fear is that 'how much else of the world/planet' will the U.S. Empire take with it when it implodes/explodes/disintegrates? No other Empire in history had the kind of weapons of today (nuclear weapons), hence I think the rules of the game have been irrevocably changed by technology.
>>"Needless to say the fall of empire will be the panacea for the whole world."
IF there is any world left after the fall of empire... (sci-fi movie/tv-series scenarios come to mind here)
>>"...it would have been a beacon of light for the previously colonised global south."
I'll leave the dreaming up to you, as I myself cannot envision an 'alternate history' in which either the U.S. or Europe would have let such a scenario/reality come to pass.
Maybe a better world is possible (sometime in the near/distant? future), but I guess our lives happen to exist within a NEW DARK AGE that has begun some time ago. Who knows? Maybe in several hundred years (or 100,000+ years taking into account half-lifes of nuclear isotopes) the earth will be ok and better species have populated it? (that's my positive thought for the day 😄😵)
I am not as optimistic about humans. Human species create structurally unstable societies where success is only measured in power and money. That is why we have endless wars and aggressions. Some wars are defensive and just. But as long as the western supremacist ideology exists humanity has no future.
Caitlin, I find Israel and the U.S. Empire's behavior to be in the stage of 'hubris' before the eventual downfall. This 'hubris' still needs to progress towards 'excessive hubris' before this 'downfall' begins in earnest. Isn't that how most Empires end? There is this paradoxical phase of 'supreme confidence/untouchability' co-existing with 'authoritarian/totalitarian/fascistic' behaviors borne out of a 'desperation from the realization of the Empire losing control/power' during such a phase.
Most experts that I have listened to recently - Ilan Pappe, Jeffrey Sachs, John Mearsheimer (and more) suggest that Israel is already on the decline and does not have a future left - and if the U.S. Empire does not disentangle itself from Israel, it might be next to follow.
With Trump, long bought, as well as US Congress bought or threatened by AIPAC that will be difficult to do. A lot of Americans are just plain ignorant, too.
True, it will be difficult - but not impossible, though it will be very painful (for the whole world). But then again, the 'decline of empires' seem to follow certain patterns (from history), and some people (experts in their respective fields) have already been noticing 'data points' that seem to suggest the confirmation of such patterns.
The unfolding logic of 'decline of an empire' is often filled with unpredictable events, hence timing such a scenario is always challenging. Nonetheless, I think people noticing such things is increasing by the day...
I've been watching the US's fall for forty years now, no one believed it could happen but they had already started once they claimed to be the world leader and their sense of impunity was right there. The pity is that when pushed other countries relented too easily and joined in their regime change wars. If they had been left to do it on their own it would not have gone this far, they needed others to call them what they wanted to be numero uno. Same with Israelis, if the US hadn't backed them and other countries were blackmailed or bribed into still falling for Jewish victimhood, this would have been stopped in a very short time.
You leaders around the world now, and your fellows before you, are as guilty of this disgusting genocide as the Israeli people are. You could have cut this off at the knees in the first months, but no you let it happen when zionist Jews made it abundantly clear what they were going to do, and set about arming them by each of you in one way or another.
GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY.
The decline of every empire, historically, has been the result of the growing of massive inequality in wealth and power among the people. Capitalism and technology have accelerated the rate of growth in the wealth/power gap.
I would also add gross social injustice, open discrimination, nepotism, incompetence on all levels, "leadership" full or morons and imbeciles that only know who's ring to kiss. In other words, total decadence.
Massive inequality in wealth results in massive inequality of power that allows or encourages gross social injustice, discrimination, and nepotism. Nepotism protects incompetence to retain power within “the family”. Nepotism, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad because “the family” knows its members better than it knows anyone outside of the family, but nepotism also resist external opportunities for improvements.
Throughout recorded history, marriage among the royal families of monarchs has been based upon nepotism and inbreeding, often resulting in the propagation of congenital diseases and defects. Such diseases and defects have analogous counterparts in political systems and corporate hierarchies.
Without actual democracy, meritocracy is a myth to give gullible people hope of being rewarded for perseverance and hard work. The members of most organizations recognize who among them deserves merit. However, when the members of the organizations are isolated from each other, they don’t always recognize significant contributions by members who are unseen.
One example that I often use is that of orderlies and janitors in hospitals and medical centers who clean, sanitize and maintain the facilities. Their work is as critical— if not more so — than that of highly paid surgeons. Most of such workers are usually unseen and are minimally rewarded even though they know their medical facilities more intimately than the transient surgeons who use them.
In medical centers/hospitals, janitors, nurses and physicians are all critically important to successful outcomes. None are really more or less important than each other. All have knowledge and skills that require years of experience to be fully developed.
Thankfully less so as the photos are unavoidable now.
I agree, but how many innocent Palestinians will die before Israel collapses?
Looks like all of them.
There are many people in a large Palestinian diaspora that Israel cannot kill.
Less and less
If the US and UK governments continue to supply weapons to Israel, there is little hope for the Palestinians.
Chang, How can the U.S. Empire disentangle itself from Israel... Israel is part of the empire.
I'll have to think about this one Indu - you've asked me a VERY challenging question (that in all likelihood seems beyond my abilities to answer).
But I think it would be a good/helpful exercise to work on. After all, we keep thinking about all the problems, but how many of us actually attempt to think of the solutions? Most of us - when confronted with the size of the seemingly insurmountable problem that is the U.S. Empire - simply give up (for multiple reasons).
The starting point for a solution would be a hypothetical - that somehow the U.S. realizes that to save the country (not the empire) it needs to reduce the size of its empire to only N.America, Western Europe, Australia, and NZ (assuming it has come to the realization that the only way for the country to survive is to go through the route of empire amputation). Given this 'hypothetical' realization, then what would it do to get from where it is to where it needs to go?
Maybe some Think Tanks (domestic or international) might have (or are) working on such a scenario...
Thanks Chang for taking the trouble. I don't think an empire can reform itself. It has to implode and explode and disintegrate.
For a phoenix to rise out of the ashes of empire, the American people will have to revolt - from apathy to awareness to make a revolution. Of course it is going to be harder for a people who have been conditioned, lobotomised and brainwashed by an institutionalised system.
One has to realise - as Bertolt Brecht implores - that it is so hot underfoot, that they have to get out of the burning house.
Incidentally the Cuban Revolution is 72 years old today. If not for the machinations of US empire it would have been a beacon of light for the previously colonised global south.
Needless to say the fall of empire will be the panacea for the whole world.
>>"I don't think an empire can reform itself. It has to implode and explode and disintegrate."
You may be right, Indu. My fear is that 'how much else of the world/planet' will the U.S. Empire take with it when it implodes/explodes/disintegrates? No other Empire in history had the kind of weapons of today (nuclear weapons), hence I think the rules of the game have been irrevocably changed by technology.
>>"Needless to say the fall of empire will be the panacea for the whole world."
IF there is any world left after the fall of empire... (sci-fi movie/tv-series scenarios come to mind here)
>>"...it would have been a beacon of light for the previously colonised global south."
I'll leave the dreaming up to you, as I myself cannot envision an 'alternate history' in which either the U.S. or Europe would have let such a scenario/reality come to pass.
Maybe a better world is possible (sometime in the near/distant? future), but I guess our lives happen to exist within a NEW DARK AGE that has begun some time ago. Who knows? Maybe in several hundred years (or 100,000+ years taking into account half-lifes of nuclear isotopes) the earth will be ok and better species have populated it? (that's my positive thought for the day 😄😵)
I am not as optimistic about humans. Human species create structurally unstable societies where success is only measured in power and money. That is why we have endless wars and aggressions. Some wars are defensive and just. But as long as the western supremacist ideology exists humanity has no future.
🤗
100%
Sooner the better.
That would be wonderful news.
I pray to the Universe that is true shortly.