General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums36 Sure Fire Signs . . .: Written in 2007, How Much of It Still Sadly Applies Today?
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0202-26.htmSome snippets . . .
You know your empire's crumbling when almost half the soldiers in that war are high-paid mercenaries, and you don't dare institute a draft.
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You know your empire's crumbling when a member of the Axis of Evil can test missiles and explode nuclear warheads, and all you can do about it is mumble some pathetic warnings about how they better not do that again or there will be consequences.
You know your empire's crumbling when you even think that there is an Axis of Evil.
You know your empire's crumbling when a rag-tag military hodge-podge of irregulars has you pinned down in an endless fight you can't win, but also can't lose.
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You know your empire's crumbling when you're the richest country in the world, but nearly 50 million of your people don't have basic health care coverage.
You know your empire's crumbling when the World Health Organization ranks your healthcare system 37th best in the world, just above Slovenia, and just below Costa Rica. (And far below Colombia, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.)
You know your empire's crumbling when instead of making it easier for citizens to obtain a higher education, you're making it harder and more expensive.
You know your empire's crumbling when your government gives tax breaks to industries as a reward for exporting your jobs elsewhere.
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You know your empire's crumbling when your middle class has been stagnant for three decades, while the wealth of the hyper-rich continues to climb through the roof.
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You know your empire's crumbling when the predatory class has taken over your government and is stripping the country of everything not bolted down to the floor. And then it sells the floor itself, as well, to your rivals.
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You know your empire's crumbling when gays and immigrants are used as diversionary issues to keep people from thinking about the pillaging of their country and their wallets actually taking place. And it works.
You know your empire's crumbling when people are getting more religious and less scientific, not the other way around.
Have we learned absolutely NOTHING? Will we EVER? I don't have to ask will THEY ever learn, since, you know, "they got theirs" and learning from mistakes they don't even know or care that they're making isn't really part or parcel in their bubbles.
Must be nice to be able to relegate a planet to a scorched Earth, piecemeal, dumpster scrap, shipping-crate-home future. Greed is a hereditary plague that we're all going to pay dearly for.
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)without healthcare...although I think by the time ACA is
in full bloom sometime in 2014 is my understanding, we're
going to find out that for many their portion will still be too
much of their dwindling incomes. imho
I particularly got a hoot out of the last one at the link:
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)They went supremely easy on The Failure Fuhrer during his undeserved terms. I'll bet they're also overjoyed that 43's relatively anonymous today . . . makes him easy to sweep under the rug and easy to promote the next runaway corporatist earth-scorcher Republican.
Two Term George W Bewsh . . . an utter American embarrassment and disgrace.
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)arely staircase
(12,482 posts)eom
JEB
(4,748 posts)has changed our trajectory. Prepare as best one can for lower living standards.
calimary
(80,699 posts)I like that one A LOT!!!!
Should be said, read, and SPREAD!!!!
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)Margaret Iron Dumbass Thatcher once said "Socialists run out of other peoples' money". I think that statement applies more to Capitalism than anything, as our great Friedmanomic loser of a system is proving.
deutsey
(20,166 posts)The bum on the rods is hunted down as an enemy of mankind
The other is driven around to his club, is feted, wined and dined
And they who curse the bum on the rods as the essence of all that's bad
Will greet the other with a willing smile and extend a hand so glad
The bum on the rods is a social flea who gets an occassional bite
The bum on the plush is a social leech, bloodsucking day and night
The bum on the rods is a load so light that his weight we scarcely feel
But it takes the labour of dozens of folks to furnish the other a meal
As long as we sanction the bum on the plush the other will always be there
But rid ourselves of the bum on the plush and the other will dissappear
Then make an intelligent organised kick get rid of the weights that crush
Dont worry about the bum on the rods get rid of the bum on the plush
Utah Phillips writes
"This is a poem from George Milburn's book, The Hobo's Hornbook.
...you hear over and over again, "Nobody ought to get something for nothing." I've got to agree. You've got to work to eat.
I look at a factory. I see that everybody associated with that factory puts something in and they take something out. The workers put in their sweat and their skill, and they take out wages. The salesmen put in their skill and ability, and they take out commissions. The managers and foremen and people in the offices put in theirs, and take out salaries. But there's one group of people who take out more than they put in, and that more is called profit. I can't think of any other way to define it. That's a bunch of people who are getting something they didn't work for, and it's a whole lot. If we're really concerned about people getting just what they earn, if we're really concerned about people not getting something that they didn't put in time and sweat for, let's start with the major offenders, and get rid of them. Then we'll gradually work our way down to the petty chiselers. It just makes sense."
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)The United States considered itself one nation among many prior to WWII.
After WWII we had "Da Bomb" and went around boasting that we were #1 and won WWII single handed and decided to promote Capitalism to counter Communism in part to denigrate the contribution the Russians made during WWII. See, it was Capitalism that made Europe free from Hitler, not the Bolsheviks. Thus the world was polarized into two extremes given the false choice of Capitalism which was equated with Freedom or Communism which was equated with Oppression. To that end the "powers that be" created a middle class as a showroom demonstration for their sales pitch to other countries. Chose Capitalism and you will give your citizens "the good life". The other option was represented by the Berlin Wall and the May Day Parade in Red Square where the Leaders wearing fur collars showed off their big missiles.
After the Soviet Union collapsed from within the "powers that be" decided they didn't NEED that middle class anymore and decided to phase it out. Meanwhile Capitalism is no longer being equated in the world as being the same as "freedom" since the world sees us as an oppressed people under it's rule. Just as the Soviets couldn't do anything without consulting their ruling ideologues to make sure their actions weren't counter to their manifesto.
This is what it looks like to be in a collapsing empire. A new generation of uneducated, underpaid, overworked and exploited people who don't know any better are waking up to how badly they have been shafted but don't know where to turn. Thus we see the wealthy fund the Tea Party to step in and blame social spending and basic human CARING for the suffering. They can only put off the inevitable for so long. If there is one thing Occupy did was make people aware of the problem. The 99% of richest country in the world are now seeing themselves as living worse off than their European counterparts and the idea of the United States being a nation among nations is looking more and more appealing.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)With no more superpower to be at "war" with or compete with, there was only four things the wealthy had to do:
1. Declare a silent (and eventually, apparent) war on your own people.
2. Buy their way into government (i.e., think tanks, Donald Regan, etc).
3. Deregulate, concentrate and purchase the media.
4. Militarize your police to prevent uprisings.
It's flawless and it's exactly led to what we have today: a Plutocracy in all it's old, nasty, naked, bird flipping splendor. Everyone from left to right is paying too much attention to Washington and giving free passes to the greedbag corporations that bought them. The aristocracy has corrupted politics, culture, business, middle/working/poor progress and the environment.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)raccoon
(31,091 posts)HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts). . . I just thought that, for all of the economic similarities that both parties seem to have, it's not doing our futures a world of good.