There are those who think that our troubles with Trump and the Senate will work itself out and everything will be okay.
Sorry, this is not true. Everything will not be okay.
It is not okay, it is not all right, for the following things to happen:
It is not okay for a president to bribe a foreign nation.
It is not okay to have a trial with any witnesses or evidence.
It is not okay to pay Senators to vote your way.
It is not okay to lie to the American public.
Recent events have revealed many disturbing truths. Bigotry, racism, xenophobia, ignorance and even stupidity are deeply rooted in America. It is not the majority that is this way, it's the active and committed. This is dangerous. This was at the root of the fall of Rome. In the book The Fire Before the Storm, Mike Duncan says:
"Through the centuries, Rome's model of cooperative and participatory
government remained remarkably durable and unmatched in the history of
the ancient world.
In 146 BC, Rome finally emerged as the strongest power in the Mediterranean. But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing. The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome now ruled: rising economic inequality disrupted traditional ways of life, endemic social and ethnic prejudice led to clashes over citizenship and voting rights, and rampant corruption and ruthless ambition sparked violent political clashes that cracked the once indestructible foundations of the Republic.
In 146 BC, Rome finally emerged as the strongest power in the Mediterranean. But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing. The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome now ruled: rising economic inequality disrupted traditional ways of life, endemic social and ethnic prejudice led to clashes over citizenship and voting rights, and rampant corruption and ruthless ambition sparked violent political clashes that cracked the once indestructible foundations of the Republic.
Chronicling the
years 146-78 BC, The Storm Before the Storm dives headlong into the
first generation to face this treacherous new political environment.
Abandoning the ancient principles of their forbearers, men like Marius,
Sulla, and the Gracchi brothers set dangerous new precedents that would
start the Republic on the road to destruction and provide a stark
warning about what can happen to a civilization that has lost its way."
Empires do not last forever. In fact, the duration of empires has decreased. The empires of the ancient world, Egypt, Persia, Rome, etc. lasted for several thousand years. Contrast that with Nazi Germany, Japan, the USSR. Dictators come and go quickly. Do not be under any illusion that the American Empire, and yes, we have one, will buck current trends.
Sitting on your ass and thinking it will all work out is delusional.
Empires do not last forever. In fact, the duration of empires has decreased. The empires of the ancient world, Egypt, Persia, Rome, etc. lasted for several thousand years. Contrast that with Nazi Germany, Japan, the USSR. Dictators come and go quickly. Do not be under any illusion that the American Empire, and yes, we have one, will buck current trends.
Sitting on your ass and thinking it will all work out is delusional.
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