And you think we are negative . . .
There is no end to the gloom…and it’s being expressed by some of the most respected academicians and writers in America. Hanson is one of the best observers of the American experience. He seems not very optimistic. In the article excerpted here he blends in current examples from America about our culture and political leadership that point to history repeating itself.
Investors Business Daily – Victor Davis Hanson: How Civilizations Collapse — Is U.S. Next? Also titled (Albuquerque Journal) Is society’s collapse on horizon?
Why did Rome and Byzantium fall apart after centuries of success? What causes civilizations to collapse, from a dysfunctional 4th-century-B.C. Athens to contemporary bankrupt Greece?
The answer is usually not enemies at the gates, but the pathologies inside them.
What ruins societies is well-known: too much consumption and not enough production, a debased currency and endemic corruption. . . .
Increasingly in the United States, the degree to which a law is enforced — or whether a person is indicted — depends on political considerations. But when citizens do not pay any income taxes, or choose not to pay taxes that they owe and expect impunity, a complex society unwinds.
And when the law becomes negotiable, civilization utterly collapses.
Reinforcing Hanson’s thesis is this revelation reported in the Washington Free Beacon. The story is only believable because it involves a Clinton. I don’t know how the
administration keeps a straight face sometimes.
State Dept Spox Grilled After Admitting ‘No Intention’ to Examine Undisclosed Clinton Donors
DLH (Thanks to BA for link )
terrible GLOOM? exploding comeback economy > getting out of the Cheney wars. unemploy.-deficit cut in half., despite record number of filibuster & cloture on blue collar job development. healthcare reform here to stay. renewable energy a’comin’!
“gloom”! go back to your freaking JOhn Birch Society newsletters from 1962.
oh, I get it > a young Black man is still in charge [“RACE CARD”!], yeah, yeah, oh my gosh, where has MY AMERICA gone!!!!
interesting, isn’t it INTERESTING how “Uncle Sam” (too bad your artist used BIll Clinton for the image, eh?) is a WHITE GUY (“RACE CARD”!) in a CHRISTIAN
House of God. Nothin’ wrong with that > but is very illuminative of your narrow little view. Oh my America! Will we still celebrate Easter?!
Get a grip, Phil. We know you’re a former 30 year bureaucrat, economic analyst extraordinaire, advocate for the downtrodden employer, one-time “talk show” host and producer with a “tall tower”…all according to you. Your talking points, however, are all products of the far left propaganda machine and are tired, discredited, and insulting to the even modestly informed. Suggest you take time out from banging out your barely coherent comments and thoughtfully consider the true record and character of the people you support . You are quick to impugn very honorable people who have achieved great things while you soak up the slanderous mischaracterizations of political opponents emitted by the administration and filtered thru the so-called mainstream media. Will look forward to an original thought from you…however, the climate in the netherworld is warming rather than cooling, so no freeze is expected in the near future.
I did a lot more than run around with a bureaucrat sign on my fedora. sorry to disappoint you. I created economic opportunities throughout the east coast for Veterans and non Veterans, and helped institute the first Professional Service Group, placement of veterans and non veterans whose job searches transcended “publicized” job announcements. I analyzed the REAL statistics REPORTED to the federal gov’t. (Oh, I get it, a government worker, hehehe).
I mention my service above in the same spirit I mention my broadcasting and publishing background because I don’t like: MISCHARACTERIZATION! gotcha! :)_
Great post , Gus . You made my day .
great post? can we go point by point or should I just join U & wave the cheerleading flags and toss spitballs from the back row of the grammar school at the ol ‘teach? 🙂
do I mischaracterize W., Cheney, Tenet, Rice, Rove, Limbaugh, Coulter, Gohmert, Cruz, walker? Please provide one single real accomplishment 4 the workforce from any of them & will take that seriously and go to google for further inspection. how about that?
not bad post, eh? 🙂
great post? show me where I mischaracterized Cheney, W., Cruz, Walker, Limbaugh. or should we stick to cheerleading for the Religious Right hate crusaders? 🙂
not bad post, eh?
according to me? according to a lot of people > and once again I tell I gave my creds to defend my honor. no…you guys get a grip…you guys whose hero will lose in ’16 (primarily because of having no positive record on job development and the inclination towards turning medicare into a voucher deal and creating new Wars in the middle east).>>>>>>>>SLANDEROUS mischaracterizations of Dick Cheney. ooooooookay. >> but maybe I DID glean that skill from you religious right 24-7 hatemongers. you never mischaracterize people in the Obama adm?
mischaracterize slug Kochkidshill Walker taking Wis. 34 th to 44th place in job creation? accept union business than try to destroy said Union? mischaracterize Cruz, eh?
climate freeze in my “netherworld”…ok, will be thriving Nov. 2016. YOUR 1953 land of milk and honey won’t get hurt, either.
Phil, stop reading old Daily Kos articles. Wisconsin’s job creation rate has been improving,and is happening by not relying on unsustainable public sector employment. The people of Wisconsin have validated his approach over three elections.
….and I commend you on another non0-personal, thoughtful, civil, detailed reply!
think happy thoughts, my 1953 contrarians! hehehe….
unbelievable. I don’t what dailyko is but I know what newcorp. is and how you guys stuck in 1953 rely upon it.
walker got re-elected. hmmm. so did Obama, who you say is a phony cretin. walker exists at that authority only because his recall vote, success was funded by the kochs’ 47,000,000 to 18,000,000 dollars raised by those horrid middle class union workers.
his job creation is poor and he dropped 10 steps by not accepting job stimulus. you want him to be president, fine.
Yep, Walker is so unpopular he raised 2-3 times as much just in Wisconsin as Barrett did
what a joke. who in hell is saying he’s UNPOPULAR?
by the way, he raises nothing > Dave Koch does all the raisin’! like out-raising the Union 47 to 18, on the recall that a SIGFNIFICANT number of Wisconsins wanted. You know, those takers, like Police , Teachers, Fire Fighters.